Cookeville Council Approves Resolution Asking For More Sales Tax Revenue

Cookeville City Council passed a resolution Thursday night asking state legislators to return more sales tax revenue to local municipalities.

Council supported a Tennessee Municipal League initiative to revisit cities receiving 4.6 percent of state sales tax. The legislature increased the sales tax in 2002 and did not share the increase with cities.

City Manager James Mills said specific legislation has been introduced this week in the legislature to make the change. He said the returned revenue could increase the city’s yearly budget by almost $550,000.

The resolution formerly requests Senator Paul Bailey and Representative Ryan Williams support the legislation introduced this week.

In other business, City Council set a public hearing for March 3 for the rezoning of property at 5250 Tennessee Avenue from single-family residential to commercial-industrial mixed use.

Council members approved the purchase of dumpsters at a price of $56,000. The city will also purchase nine traffic signal controllers at a price of $29,700.