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Mayor’s proposed 2018 budget up for Chattanooga City Council vote

Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke speaks Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Southside Community Park in Chattanooga, Tenn. The park completes the transformation of the long-vacant site to a gathering place for the neighborhood.
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke speaks Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Southside Community Park in Chattanooga, Tenn. The park completes the transformation of the long-vacant site to a gathering place for the neighborhood. Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke speaks Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Southside Community Park in Chattanooga, Tenn. The park completes the transformation of the long-vacant site to a gathering place for the neighborhood.

By Paul Leach 3 min read

The Chattanooga City Council plans to debate and vote on Mayor Andy Berke’s 2018 budget proposal today.

Council members have chewed over the $253 million operations budget – which boosts property tax revenues even though it knocks a few cents off the tax rate and includes an option to freeze tax bills for qualifying seniors – since they received it five weeks ago. Chattanooga property values have gone up by an average of 10.9 percent, and property tax bills are expected to go up.

The budget, which calls for $23 million more than what the city needed in 2017, faced a number of challenges to meet mandatory service levels and benefit commitments, Maura Sullivan, chief operating officer, said during the initial presentation to the council.

“This budget represents a lot of hard work, long hours and difficult discussions,” Sullivan said.

photo Maura Sullivan is the city’s new chief operating officer.

While the new budget does include service expansions, new programs and more positions, it required more money even if the city did not take on the additional expenses, she said.