Signal Mountain Council Member Vicki Anderson took to Facebook over the weekend, spreading the word to town residents about a last minute proposed property tax increase that would be used to fund pay raises for town employees.
“Why I voted no,” she titled her post.
Another council member, Andrew Gardner, used email to reach out to residents about the issue.
“Saturday morning the council voted three to two to propose and consider a tax increase (albeit minimal) at our meeting this Monday .
. . at 6 p.m.,” he reported. “As I have heard from many of you and agree, this process has not been appropriate for implementing a tax increase.”
So far, Signal voters have had no say regarding whether their property taxes should be raised, he noted – but it’s not too late.
“There is still time to voice your opinion on this matter before things are finalized . . . Share the news of this increase, your thoughts and/or this email with your friends and neighbors,” he urged.
He provided email addresses for council members, so residents could contact them “and voice your informed opinion.”
Finally, he said, residents should “attend our council meeting at 6 p.m. (Monday) at town hall and voice your concerns and thoughts during the citizens’ opportunity to speak.”
The proposed tax increase comes on the heels of a recently released report which revealed that many Signal town employees are seriously underpaid, and that the town consequently has difficulty recruiting and/or retaining fire, police and other workers.
That information led members of the town’s personnel committee to recommend that the town council consider adopting a new compensation scale and – to pay for it – develop strategies for dealing with funding issues, according to committee member Elizabeth Boyer Baker.
In April, during a council budget meeting, members were presented with a balanced budget with all revenue allocated.
At that same time, town manager Boyd Veal revealed that employee morale is very low and that a pay scale study was being done.
It is the recently revealed results of that study which spurred council members to amend the previously approved budget by adding the new compensation plan to it, and to raise taxes to cover the additional cost.
Council members Anderson and Gardner were the only members to vote against the proposal during Saturday’s special meeting.
“Four days – Tuesday to Saturday – is the amount of time we had between the presentation and the vote,” council member Anderson explained on Facebook. “That is just not enough. Citizens have the right to think about and respond to any proposed tax increase.”
“Raises for employees are critical, and a tax increase to provide fair compensation is necessary,” she wrote. “(But) I just cannot agree when the time we had to communicate with and listen to Signal Mountain residents was so limited.”
However, she added, she was pleased by the town council’s decision “to spend the next year developing a comprehensive, strategic plan that will address how to meet the current and future needs of our town.”