Soddy Daisy’s budget for fiscal year 2018-2019 was passed on final reading Thursday night. The tax rate remains the same as 2018 which is $1.3524 per $100 of assessed value. The close to $10 million budget includes $500,000 for paving secondary roads, new lights at the softball fields, a new truck and boom mower for the public works department, two police vehicles, a squad truck for the fire department and new radios for both fire and police. It also funds two new firefighter positions.
In July when the new budget begins, the new fire personnel will be hired and the department will stay open 24 hours each day, seven days a week.
Officials in Soddy Daisy are preparing for a larger Fourth of July celebration than the city has ever hosted before. It will start at 8:30 a.m. with a car show that lasts until 2 p.m., followed by music in the Soddy Lake Park. Five different local bands will be playing a variety of music throughout the afternoon. There will be free activities for children including blow ups and a train and there will be craft vendors and food. A concert by Amber Carrington will end the musical entertainment, and at 9:45 the firework show will begin. Tickets will be sold for $5 donations and a drawing will be held at 6 p.m. for a car. The money raised by the raffle will go to the new Vietnam Veterans building in Soddy Daisy. The city wants people to come and spend the day.
Troy Cox, a business owner in Soddy Daisy, appealed to the commissioners to allow him to erect a billboard. The request has already been turned down by the board of zoning appeals. The location where he wants to put it is a designated scenic corridor. The city established an ordinance for aesthetic purposes, which specifies that billboards cannot be closer than 3,500 feet apart. City Attorney Sam Elliott told Mr. Cox that there cannot be a variance, but that the ordinance must be changed to allow a new sign. City Manager Janice Cagle will direct the matter to the planning commission for further study after which it will make a recommendation to the commission. It will be the commissioners that will make the final decision. "If we make a change to accommodate one person, it may create a ripple effect," warned City Attorney Elliott.