School Board member Greg Martin, seated, speaks with Supt. Rick Smith
The County School Board on Monday afternoon approved a balanced budget that includes no program or employee cuts and gives a two-percent across-the-board pay increase.
The vote was 6-2 with Rhonda Thurman and Greg Martin opposed.
They objected to the budget being balanced using $2.7 million in "one time money." The budget includes just over $1 million from the fund balance and $1.7 million from the city liquor tax payments. The liquor tax payments will run out after four more years.
Mr. Martin said the move "is setting us up for very difficult days."
It will cost $4.4 million for the pay increase.
The schools had to go back to the drawing board after County Mayor Jim Coppinger and the County Commission would not go along with a request for $34 million in new funding that would have required a $.40-property tax increase.
The balanced budget deleted all "enhancements" that would have been covered by the extra money, including art programs in the schools. Board member David Testerman hit county leaders for not going along with needs expressed by Supt. Rick Smith. He said, "This town should be ashamed of ourselves." He said Chattanooga is not going to prosper "by cutting education and not giving to the kids when they need it."
Ms. Thurman responded, "We have all kinds of schools where a kid can get a good education. We can get mad and pitch a hissy fit all you want, but the taxpayers are tapped out. I tell you from the White House to the outhouse, they (taxpayers) are done."