News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville City Council members will take the first steps toward a new fiscal year budget Monday with the first of two days of work sessions.
Council Member Mark Miller said he believes the council should take a strong, conservative approach.
“We need to continue allowing our essential services to function normally,” Miller said. “Some of the extra frills that we were possibly trying to accomplish this year, we may have to push back an extra year or so.”
Council Member Charles Womack said saving jobs and not increasing the property tax are his two main concerns.
“We’re entering into something that could be, I hope, a bounce back like the president is saying that it’s a V-shape curve and the economy recovers, but you can’t count on that at all,” Womack said. “We’ve got to provide essential services for people of Cookeville and try to not get into new things.”
Miller said life-saving and life-preserving projects must continue. Miller said some projects, like constructing a swimming pool at Cane Creek Park, will likely be postponed. Miller said if there is money left over, some projects like Dogwood Park changes could begin.
“If you can’t go and work and make money, then we aren’t going to survive as a community,” Miller said. “We have to make sure that people have that ability to go to work. That in turn will generate self-access and allow our community to provide more services.”
Womack said sales tax revenue fuels the city, but numbers are down across the board except grocery sales. Womack said Cookeville is in a good position to bounce back because of its location, tourism, and Tennessee Tech.
“We’ve been a well run city,” Womack said. “Our water rates, electric rates, garbage, and all the things we do have all been either at the medium or below the medium of cities our size throughout the state. I think it’ll continue to be well run and we’ll try to give value to people of Cookeville.”
