Signal’s Vice Mayor Opposes 22 Percent Property Tax Increase

“I Am Disgusted By This,” Amy Speek Says

  • Monday, May 13, 2019
  • Judy Frank

Signal Mountain’s proposed 22 percent property tax increase is “not the answer to our financial woes,” according to Amy Speek, the town’s vice mayor.

“I am not in favor of this, but it seems I am outnumbered,” she wrote on her facebook page, Amy Speek for Town Council.

She urged residents who agree with her to show up at town hall at 6 p.m. today for the council meeting where the town’s financial situation will be discussed.

Vice Mayor Speek questioned the validity of the council’s budget planning process, noting that only two budget meetings were held and neither was attended by all five members of the governing body.

Four of the council’s five members attended the first budget meeting on May 3. Councilman Bob Spalding, who has announced he will leave the body in July, has not attended the group’s recent meetings

Although the meeting was scheduled to last from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., according to Vice Mayor Speek, “two members left early and the meeting adjourned at 3 p.m.”

Among the budget requests presented by various department heads, she said, was Chief Mike Williams’ petition for an additional police officer “due to a significant increase in calls to our neighboring communities.”

The number of calls responded to in Walden is up165 percent, she reported, and in unincorporated Hamilton County 65 percent.

Neither Mayor Dan Landrum nor Councilman Bill Lusk supported that request, she said, and her suggestion that Signal meeting with Walden officials regarding a possible sharing of costs was not acted upon.

When a second budget meeting was proposed, according to Vice Mayor Speek, “I publicly and privately asked council to postpone that meeting until there could be a FULL council and enough notice for citizens to get involved.”

Nevertheless, she said, a rushed second meeting was held “that not only excluded two council members but only gave our citizens 24 hours notice of that meeting.”

Neither Councilman Spalding nor Vice Mayor Speek attended the second budget session.

“And now we have a 22 percent proposed tax increase?” she asked angrily. “I am disgusted by this and I will be voting NO! If you feel other wise please email me or text 423-503-1028”

The full text of the vice mayor’s statement follows:

What most of you read in the paper about a proposed 22% tax increase in part to fund a sanitation fee is REAL and will be discussed tonight! I am NOT IN FAVOR of this, but it seems I am out numbered. PLEASE Citizens, I urge you to attend the meeting this evening 6:00 or to please email your concerns to amyspeek@yahoo.com as well as the rest of the council.

Council met (4 of 5 members) to discuss the budget on 5/3 and the meeting was to go from 9-4:30 two members left early and the meeting adjourned at 3:00. Department heads reported on their year and made their ask for non budgeted needs for our town (One of which was the need for an additional police officer due to a significant increase in calls to our neighboring communities of Walden 165% and 65% in the county!) While I support that ask fully raising taxes is not the answer to all our financial woes... my fellow council members (Bill and Dan) were not in support of this request by our police chief! 

I proposed we meet with Walden and see what we might be able to share in this need or at the least start a conversation before saying no to our Chief!

A sanitation fee was proposed and a property tax comparison was made. By the way did you know a 300k house in Walden costs on $303.98 as compared to signal mountain which is around $1500 (SM is not exact I am going from memory, but you get the point!) I will be exact on another thread.

3 members of council met for a second budget meeting. Pushed by our Mayor-- I publicly and privately asked council to postpone that meeting until there could be a FULL council and enough notice for citizens to get involved. The budget, according to our mayor is the "single most important job we have as council members!"

I agree! So why was second budget meeting rushed that not only excluded 2 council members but only gave our citizens 24 hours notice of that meeting? And now we have a 22% proposed tax increase? I said in our first meeting after being shut down many times by our mayor--there is more than one way to skin a cat--why aren't looking at those! Can you imagine the uproar if Mayor Howley did this last year!

I am disgusted by this and I will be voting NO! If you feel other wise please email me or text 423-503-1028

Sincerely,

Vice Mayor Amy Speek

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