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.