City Council members, with no fanfare or discussion, voted Tuesday night to approve on first reading a $59.7 million capital budget for 2009/2010 which included $13.7 million for the new Volkswagen facility.
The budget is significantly larger than last year’s $34 million pre-Volkswagen capital budget.
The council also gave final approval to a 3 percent sewer charge increase.
The vote on the capital budget came just hours after members held one last freewheeling finance committee meeting to hash out what would and would not be funded.
“I want to commend the council . . . I was glad to chair this committee,” Councilwoman Carol Berz said before recommending passage of the measure.
In addition to the money for Volkswagen, the budget includes almost $11 million for interceptor sewer improvements, $5 million for fire halls in newly annexed areas – and $150,000 for Stringers Ridge.
The final vote is scheduled for next week’s council meeting.
The capital budget earlier had included $100,000 toward the purchase of 98 acres on Stringer's Ridge for a park.
Trust For Public Land officials said the city had pledged another $350,000 toward the purchase. The council last year approved $150,000 for the acquisition of the tract in North Chattanooga that once was slated for development.
This brings the city contribution at this time to $300,000. TPL officials said the total city pledge is $500,000.