A $56 million capital improvements budget for the city of Chattanooga passed on first reading Tuesday night, but not until after city administrators pulled a controversial parking garage out of it.
“We’re proposing we just delay funding of this program until we get the total package together,” Mayor Ron Littlefield told council members.
The council balked almost three weeks ago at passing the capital budget because of the inclusion of the $13 million parking garage, of which the city planned on paying for half. Council members voted 7-2 Tuesday to approve the budget.
Councilman Russell Gilbert and Councilwoman Deborah Scott voted no.
PDF: Capital budget issues 2010
Scott said she was somewhat upset that council members talked of taking out the parking garage but spending more money on other projects.
“My desire is not to increase the amount of spending, but reprioritize it,” she said.
Council members met most of the day Tuesday during a special called Budget, Finance and Personnel Committee hearing to hash out the budget. Some of the decisions made included taking out the parking garage from the budget, along with a downtown police station. But council members said they wanted to see extra money for road paving and fire hydrants.
City officials said they would need about $250,000 for fire hydrants and $4 million for road paving. The capital budget now includes about $1.5 million for road paving, and there is an extra $1.3 million carrying over from last year’s budget, said Daisy Madison, the city’s chief financial officer.
The council will vote again next Tuesday on the capital budget on second and final reading.