Soddy-Daisy passes budget

Last week, the city of Soddy-Daisy passed its budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Included is a 35-cent property tax increase. The general fund tax is now $1.35 per each $100 of taxable property.

This year's budget totals $9,724,200, up from last year's $9,567,200.

Next fiscal year's budget includes a 3 percent salary increase for all city employees and a 4 percent salary increase for sergeants, detectives and lieutenants.

Resident Jackie Penney asserted that there is a need to help the city's lower-income residents afford the higher taxes.

"There's people that do without medicine to pay their taxes," he said.

City Attorney Sam Elliott said a property tax relief program does exist for the elderly in Tennessee. Commissioners asked him to report more information about the program at the Commission's next meeting Thursday, July 18 at 7 p.m.

"Every one of us have to consider we have people in our area who don't have very much," said Mayor Janice Cagle. "We still need to make the best city we can with what we have."

"You have to do what's best for the broader number of people, and that's kind of where we are," said Commissioner Jim Adams.

City Manager Hardie Stulce said the board's decision to raise taxes was not made in haste.

"The only thing we can do is increase our revenue or decrease services," he said.

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