As residents figure and file their income tax returns, the town of Signal Mountain is beginning the process of assessing its financial situation looking forward – which always means looking at whether to raise taxes.
“Last year there was a big brewhaha over the fact that at the end of the budget process, a lot of citizens said they thought you didn’t allow appropriate citizen input,” said Signal Mountain resident Noah Long. “I would really, as a citizen, like to see the council address in public council your direction to town staff about the preparing of the budget.”
Not only would he like to see the public have more guidance over the budget process, he’d like council members to direct it more.
“I think that’s the primary responsibility of leaders of the town; to give budgetary direction to managers, saying ‘We want no tax increase,’ or ‘We want no increase in expenditures,’ or ‘We want to project the revenues, and if revenues show some increase, then we can increase expenditures based on the projected revenue increase we agreed upon,’ or ‘We want you to do a 2-percent increase, a 5-percent increase and we’ll then decide on it.’
“I’m saying you need to give public direction to the town management as to what you decide you want them to present, rather than town management saying here’s what we would like,” he said.