Lookout Mountain, Ga., Passes $2 Million Budget Without Tax Increase: Line Item Included For Long-Planned New Town Center

  • Thursday, June 22, 2017
  • Gail Perry

The Lookout Mountain, Georgia City Council, at a special called meeting Thursday night.  adopted on final reading the budget for fiscal year 2017-2018 that will go into effect on July 1. There will be no property tax increase in the roughly $2 million budget. However, there will be an increase in the garbage fees because the Walker County landfill has increased what it charges.

 

This is the first time there has been a line item in the budget for the city’s long-planned Town Center development.

The total amount of $92,000 is planned for use as debt service for the development, with $35,000 from the general fund identified in the budget for getting the project started. An additional $22,000 will come from the hotel/motel tax and $35,000 from the SPLOST fund (special-purpose local-option sales tax) for that purpose.

 

Mayor David Bennett has been meeting with architects for the new municipal buildings and hopes to have a recommendation to present to the council in July.

 

Other items planned for in the budget include lease payments of $22,000 for a new garbage truck, and an increase from $23,000 to $36,000 for the parks and recreation department.

 

The council voted unanimously to approve the 2017-2018 budget.

 

An amendment to the 2017 budget, ending June 30, was approved in order to make adjustments for unexpected, unbudgeted expenses that occurred throughout the year.

 

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