With Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield having proposed a 64-cent city property tax increase to finance the proposed $198.6 million city budget for the coming budget year, there have been surprisingly few howls of protest from taxpayers about raising the property tax rate from $1.94 per $100 of assessed property value to $2.58.
But City Council members, sensitive to the taxpayers, have not indicated any support for such a big tax increase.
It seems City Council members oppose the 33 percent tax increase.
Obviously, “something has to give.” Will the council members offer an alternative to the mayor’s proposal, or …?
If the mayor’s budget and big tax increase are not accepted, there will have to be big cuts in suggested city spending. Which way will the decision go?
City Councilwoman Sally Robinson realistically said, “We’re not going to be able to take a fingernail clipper to this budget. This is going to take a chain saw. And that’s not the council’s job.”
It is reported council members want to provide fully for police and fire services — but other budget items will have to yield to major alterations if a large property tax increase is to be avoided.
So, obviously, some hard decisions must be made.
This is not a comfortable position for city officials to face — or for Chattanooga taxpayers to face. So what’s next?
“Proposing” and “opposing” must ultimately bring some decisions. Either cutting proposed city services or raising the city tax rate painfully higher will be unpopular with many of our citizens.
Just think: City officials ask for this job.
There is little support for a big property tax increase in our current economic crisis.
City Council members recognize that.
What proposed spending should be cut?
What tax increase should be voted?
The decisions either way are not likely to be popular with many city taxpayers.
That’s the reality of tax-and-spend decisions in a time of tight finances.