City budget battle has winners, losers

PDF: City agency cuts

After a year of closing early to save money, Chattanooga recreation centers soon could be open again for normal hours.

But at the same time, a city ballet program, a children's museum and the Chattanooga Theatre Center could find 2 percent of their budgets cut.

The 2010-11 fiscal year budget had some winners, but more than its fair share of losers, officials said.

"It's still a situation where we're having to make cuts," said Larry Zehnder, parks and recreation director.

The City Council approved a 2010-11 operating budget Tuesday that whittled a proposed $198.6 million budget down to $185 million and includes a 19 percent property tax increase. The increase adds 37 cents per $100 of assessed property value to the current rate of $1.939.

The council plans to vote on its second and final reading of the budget Tuesday night.

Other budget cuts included not allowing employees to take home city-owned cars past city limits, no pay raises for employees, no additional firefighters and one police academy instead of two.

The council voted to restore funding to recreation centers, making sure locations such as the Frances B. Wyatt Recreation Center and the Carver Recreation Center Pool remained open. But the city still is looking to cut $200,000 from other departments so the recreation centers can return to normal operating hours.

Kelly Price, facility manager for Frances Wyatt Center, said having the center remain open -- and remain open longer -- helps everyone in the community. The center has had to close on Saturdays, which used to be a time for families to come in, she said.

"It's taken its toll, the kids not having something to do one day a week," she said.

Mr. Zehnder said he still must cut some of his parks budget to make up for the $421,000 it will take to keep recreation centers open. But just getting the money from the council is an encouraging sign, he said.

"We're no longer at the bottom of the priority list," he said.

While finding extra money for the rec centers, the city cut almost $1 million in funding to local agencies, forcing them to find funds from private donations or other sources.

Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga lost $30,000 in city money and the agency now must slice 2 percent off what it gives to its 14 partners, said Dan Bowers, president of Allied Arts. Among those partners are the Creative Discovery Museum, Chattanooga Ballet and the Chattanooga Theatre Center.

"We have to pass the cuts along," Mr. Bowers said.

At the same time, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Public Library will be cut $309,000 under the current budget.

IF YOU GOThe City Council will meet 10:30 a.m. Tuesday to talk about the 2010-11 operating and capital budgets. The council could vote on the budgets at 6 p.m. during its regularly scheduled business meeting.

David Clapp, director of the library, said some of the money would have been used to pay for future retiree medical benefits and he hopes the city will pass those costs on to next year. The library system is funded jointly by the city and Hamilton County and, if the county matches the city's

funding, the library could be fine, he said.

"We expect recent changes downtown to allow us to restore Sunday hours downtown and add hours to the branches," he said. "Should there be further cuts, we will probably not reopen on Sunday and may lose rather than gain hours in the branches."

The County Commission also is in the middle of its budget process and could pass a new one in August, officials said.

Commissioner Jim Coppinger said he sees no problem with the county matching the city in library funding -- but not a penny more.

"I don't see any increase in that," he said.

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Article: City Council approves budget, tax increase

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