Citizens of Elizabethton are encouraged to attend a special called City Council session on Monday, June 20, beginning at noon for the second readings for the City of Elizabethton 2015-2016 fiscal year budget ordinance amendment and the Elizabethton City Schools budget.
The council will also look to approve a resolution allowing the city to operate under the 2015-2016 budget if the 2016-2017 budget is not adopted by July 1.
During this month’s regularly scheduled council meeting, members unanimously approved a motion by councilman Richard Tester to approve a $500 bonus to full-time city employees and $250 for part-time for the upcoming budget – after discussion from Mayor Curt Alexander to continue what the city did the previous year – along with a one-percent raise across the board
“Our revenues are good,” Tester said. “I propose we do have the bonuses and a one-percent raise across the board.”
The city approximately had $71,000 of unallocated funding, City Manager Jerome Kitchens told the council. During that meeting, the council approved a $70,000 increase for the Carter County Rescue Squad, moving their line item from $50,000 to $120,000 – the same as the previous year.
Kitchens told the council that he could work on the budget with the rescue squad funding and bonus, but said “we’re going to have to find another way of finding $70,000 to fund the one percent raise.”
Also on the agenda includes the consideration to approve the Elizabethton Municipal Airport budget and city’s internal control policy.