Although he notes it wasn’t particularly sexy, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly said he’s proud of the city’s upcoming budget.
“Budgets reflect priorities, of course,” he said during a city council meeting. “Despite inflation and other fiscal pressures that made this a tough budget, this one does not compromise our commitment to help Chattanooga reach its full potential.”
The panel gave its final approval to the city’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year in an 8-0 vote Tuesday. Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod, of Eastdale, was absent. The budget year begins July 1 and runs until June 30, 2025. The city’s approximately $336 million general fund budget does not include a property tax increase. The board also approved a $205 million spending plan for various capital projects.
Public works and the police and fire departments together represent about 59% of the city’s budget for the upcoming year, Kelly said. The city also intends to spend more than $10 million for road resurfacing and pothole repairs next year, which fits into a four-year commitment by Kelly to invest $40 million into improving streets.
“While our paving complaints have not been silenced, they have been quieted,” council Chair Chip Henderson, of Lookout Valley, said during the meeting.