Government Budget

Flanagan moves on to TCOG (01/06/12)
The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government (TCOG) has selected veteran journalist and founding board member Kent Flanagan as executive director for the non-profit organization. Flanagan has worked at the Times-Gazette since 2009 where he served in a variety of roles including editor, staff writer and photographer...

Council considers city debt policy (08/05/11)
"Debt" has been a word heard frequently in the news recently, and Shelbyville's city council will be looking at passing a resolution dealing with that very topic. City manager Jay Johnson told the council that due to the financial upheaval that has taken place over the past few years, as well as some of the difficulties that some cities have had, the state comptroller's office has mandated that counties and municipalities in Tennessee adopt a debt policy statement by the end of the year...

City's budget looking better (08/04/11)
City manager Jay Johnson reported to Shelbyville's council this week that the city's budget situation has improved slightly. Johnson said that because of the difficult decisions the council made over the past year in relation to budget cuts, such as holding the line on expenses and making personnel cuts, as well as better than expected sales tax revenue, "we ended the year in a good position."...

Tax hike less than expected (06/24/11)
Shelbyville's city council will meet next Tuesday to sign off on the budget for this coming fiscal year, and perhaps select a new city manager. Late Tuesday, county property assessor Ronda Clanton reported that the new certified tax rate has gone up slightly for the city - $1.43 for Shelbyville, but was unchanged at $2.27 for Bedford County...

City tax hike proposed (06/08/11)
With members calling it the simplest and smoothest budget meeting they ever had, Shelbyville city council was presented with the first draft of a budget containing a 26-cent property tax increase. But the actual amount of the hike won't be known until later this month, after a new certified tax rate is determined. The new rate will help fund a $12.4 million budget...

Property tax won't rise (06/02/11)
The Bedford County Financial Management Committee put the finishing touches on a county budget and property tax rate which will be presented to the full county commission for approval June 14. The budget holds the property tax rate steady at its current level of $2.27 per $100 assessed value...

Gas costs fuel budget plans (04/13/11)
Shelbyville's treasurer is starting to examine the numbers for the city's next budget -- saying that gas prices will be the one figure he will be paying the most attention to. Since last week, treasurer Gary Cantrell has been sitting down with department heads about the upcoming process, already meeting with the fire department, animal control and public works...

Metro worthy of study, but may not be a cure-all (03/27/11)
The city's garbage crisis appears to have passed, for now, but while it was making news, several commenters at the Times-Gazette web site expressed the opinion that metropolitan city-county government would be a good answer to the city's financial woes...

New council will take on old issues (11/21/10)
When the two newest members of Shelbyville's city council take their seats next month, they will be facing the same problems that has dominated their discussions over the past year -- the budget. The general election earlier this month saw council incumbents Lee Roy Cunningham and Al Stephenson defeated by James "Jamie" Williams and Sam Meek...

Budget amendments OK'd by committee (10/01/10)
Bedford County Financial Management Committee approved budget amendments Tuesday night and heard a complaint from a local firm about how the county obtains its copiers. The budget amendments approved Tuesday night were largely to account for various grants received by the school system and by the county general fund...

Cunningham budget cuts hit hard by council (09/01/10)
Once again, Shelbyville's city council got into a debate about the budget, cuts, and a $11 monthly trash fee. Last week, council member Lee Roy Cunningham handed out copies of a list of cuts that he said can be made to the budget, which was passed by the council in late June containing the $11 trash fee...

Pension cut talk fires up officials (08/05/10)
Shelbyville's fire chief lashed out at a suggestion from a resident that the city stop retirement benefits for employees instead of levying a monthly trash fee. At the end of an uneventful study session Tuesday evening, Trudy Ponder addressed the council at length about the city's expenses and said that the city was taking 10 percent of their revenue to fund retirement for fire and police...

Stephenson's surplus claim is questioned (07/30/10)
An examination of Shelbyville's financial figures from the 1990s appears to contradict the claims of a former mayor who said he left the city with a $3 million surplus. The city is facing a $770,000 deficit and Mayor Wallace Cartwright has said the city could be broke by September 2011 if something isn't done to increase revenue...

County budget keeps tax rate same, allows pay raises (06/30/10)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners approved county budgets and tax rates Tuesday evening for the 2010-2011 fiscal year which starts Thursday. The county property tax rate will remain at its current level of $2.27 per $100 assessed value. The budget approved by the commission includes a 2 percent salary increase for county government employees other than school system employees, with a promise that the county will review its fiscal position in six months to see if another percentage point can be added at that time.. ...

School budget passes, but changes likely (06/29/10)
Bedford County Board of Education, at a special called meeting on Monday, approved a 2010-11 budget, although there are several amendments already expected or possible in the next few months. The school budget now goes before Bedford County Board of Commissioners for approval as part of the overall county budget. ...

Tax rates stable in proposed budget (06/23/10)
Bedford County Financial Management Committee reviewed a proposed county budget Tuesday night, and made changes to it, but passed it along to the full county commission without actually endorsing it. The budget makes no change in county tax rates, which would remain the same as in the current fiscal year: $2.27 per $100 assessed value...

County may give workers pay increases (06/13/10)
Bedford County Financial Management Committee received preliminary revenue estimates for the 2010-2011 budget on Friday, and even though they are basically flat Finance Director Robert Daniel told the committee that a 2 percent raise is possible for county employees, who have gone three years without one...

County fund shifts approved (06/09/10)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners, meeting Tuesday night, approved a budget amendment and two resolutions to combine county funds. The amendment shifts funds between accounts to reflect actual revenue and actual spending, and adjusts the county's fund balance upward to reflect audit results...

Bredesen pleased with state budget (06/04/10)
NASHVILLE -- Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen said he's largely pleased with the latest form of the budget plan that passed the Senate Thursday night. Members approved the plan 30-3. The House was expected to take it up today. The proposal is a compromise that legislative leaders from both chambers said they worked out earlier this week. The dissenting Senate votes were from Republicans Jim Tracy of Shelbyville, Dewayne Bunch of Cleveland and Mae Beavers of Mt. Juliet...

State budget up for vote (06/03/10)
NASHVILLE -- Both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly were poised to vote on the state's annual spending plan following a breakthrough in negotiations. The Senate was scheduled to vote on the budget plan this morning and the House Finance Committee voted late Wednesday to advance the plan to the floor...

Nonprofits ask for city dollars (05/20/10)
While it's likely that Shelbyville will have a tight budget this coming fiscal year, many area nonprofit organizations and agencies are requesting more funding from the city this year. The city council held a special called meeting Monday to hear the nonprofit requests, which include state affiliated programs, community nonprofits and charitable agencies...

Treasurer: City budget problems unlikely (05/02/10)
It will likely be a tight budget year for Shelbyville, but barring unforeseen events, the city should be able to get through the year without any problems. So far, city treasurer Gary Cantrell does not have the budget numbers in stone, but he believes that the city's expenses will hold steady as they have over the past year...

Bredesen: Tax hike protects state pay (04/16/10)
NASHVILLE -- Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen said Thursday that lifting Tennessee's sales tax cap to plug an $80 million budget gap would avoid a pay cut for all state employees. Bredesen told reporters after a speech to educators that the alternative to lifting the cap would be to require a 5 percent salary decrease for all state workers...

Preparation may pay off for schools (02/21/10)
Like many other school systems in the state of Tennessee, Bedford County Schools may be facing hard times when it comes to the budget. But unlike many of those systems, the county may be better prepared. School Superintendent Ed Gray went over the financials with the board of education Thursday night, telling it the property tax numbers were up...

Bredesen: Use reserves to take edge off cuts (02/02/10)
NASHVILLE -- Gov. Phil Bredesen said Monday night that he plans to use the state's reserves to spare some state jobs and key services but he stressed that painful cuts will be unavoidable and hundreds of state employees may be laid off. The Democratic governor detailed his plans during his eighth and final State of the State address...

Proposed spending freeze rejected (12/11/09)
A spending freeze that was proposed for the city of Shelbyville last week was voted down Thursday evening. In a vote of 4-2, the council rejected the freeze, which was requested last week by councilman Lee Roy Cunningham. Council member Kay Rose began the discussion on the proposal by commending the city's department heads for "putting a big chill on spending"...

Tight funding prevented school system bonuses, says superintendent (10/28/09)
Bedford County School Superintendent Ed Gray told members of Bedford County Financial Management Committee Tuesday night that it would have been "fiscally irresponsible" to give school system employees the same $400 bonus received by other county employees, because of the school system's extremely tight fund balance...

Commission approves budget amendments (10/15/09)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners approved budget amendments for the school system and the county general budget during a relatively short and uneventful meeting on Tuesday night. County Mayor Eugene Ray, who provided details of the meeting to the Times-Gazette, said that he emphasized the importance of new rules governing disclosure statements as they apply to the commission. ...

Attempt to fire city manager violates Sunshine Law (09/29/09)
A letter from four Shelbyville council members told city manager Ed Craig he was fired Monday -- an action later determined to be a violation of the state's Sunshine Law. Instead, Craig's continued position with the city could be a topic of discussion at tonight's study session of the council, which meets at 6 p.m. in the courtroom at Shelbyville Police Department...

Fuel costs impact city budget (04/28/08)
Rising fuel costs are prompting the city of Shelbyville to change how it will figure gasoline expenses into the next year's fiscal budget. But the good news is that overall, this year's budget is on target. With the numbers at the pumps reaching the $3.50 mark, cities and counties across the nation must absorb the impact and Shelbyville is no exception...

A big bang at the Fire Academy (04/25/08)
If you think you hear explosions around Bedford County next week, there isn't anything to be worried about. "Post blast training" is to be conducted at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy (TFACA) on Unionville-Deason Road by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) next week for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) in preparation for possible deployment...

County wants austerity budgets (04/24/08)
Bedford County Financial Management Committee is asking each county agency to submit two budgets for the 2008-09 fiscal year -- one based on what the agency's management thinks it needs, and another based on a 5 percent reduction from what the agency received in 2007-08...

Large tree must go, city says (04/23/08)
Concern about the fate of a tree on East Depot Street led to a small public hearing Tuesday between some downtown business people and city officials. Jennifer Templeton of Templeton Insurance started a petition to save the large tree in front of the business that is slated to be replaced by a pair of single stem crepe myrtles...

Pipeline, higher dam among water supply ideas (04/22/08)
Alternatives on how to avoid water shortages due to drought are to be explored at Henry Horton State Park on Thursday when the Duck River Agency Board of Directors convenes for its quarterly meeting. One of the ideas is to have a pipe to transfer water from Tims Ford Lake, which is fed by the Elk River, to the Duck River below the Normandy Lake dam to maintain river flow through Shelbyville as well as water reserves for the utility serving Tullahoma and Manchester, according to the river agency's executive director and chairman of the board.. ...

Blackburn rallies local GOP (04/21/08)
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn stressed energy, the economy and national security during a speech Saturday night at the annual Bedford County Republican Party banquet. The banquet was held at the Blue Ribbon Circle on the Celebration grounds. Blackburn said the party's losses in 2006 were the result of a loss of focus on key messages...

A record-setting flight in a Shelbyville-made plane (03/29/08)
An aircraft constructed at Shelbyville's Jabiru USA facility has set a coast-to-coast speed record for a piston engine landplane that weights a ton or less. Retired Navy pilot Earl Ferguson of Atlanta claimed the record, which was approved by the National Aeronautic Association this month. ...

Bell Buckle hires judge, attorney (03/29/08)
Bell Buckle's board of Mayor and Aldermen met for a brief special called meeting Friday to hire a municipal judge and a new city attorney. The board voted to hire Bill Haywood, who serves as Chapel Hill's municipal judge and city attorney for Lewisburg, as judge for the small village at a cost of $300 per session...

Bredesen pushes long-term care plan (03/28/08)
Gov. Phil Bredesen said that his own mother, last year, was in a position where she was too sick to be home alone and yet not disabled enough to be in a nursing home. Fortunately, she had "a son who knows a little bit about the system," in the governor's words, and he was able to arrange for her needs to be met...

Tyson defends hiring practices, works with refugees (03/28/08)
Tyson Foods officials have been working with the imam of Shelbyville's Islamic mosque to bridge the cultural gap that exists between the Somali community and the rest of the public. Representatives of the company also dismissed lingering charges of Tyson hiring illegal immigrants as "myths and misconceptions."...

Sanford honored for support of Guard member (03/28/08)
Sanford Brands' distribution center on Railroad Avenue has been honored by Employee Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) for its support of employees while they are away from their full-time jobs in the service of their country. Melissa Barker supervises Sanford's outbound distribution division. On March 24, she was presented with an award for her compassion and support as an employer of a Tennessee Army National Guardsman...

Nashville center strives to help Shelbyville Somalis (03/24/08)
For the Somali Community Center of Nashville, Fridays are generally known as "Shelbyville Day." That's when carloads of Somali refugees from Bedford County head to the city for assistance from the center, which provides social services and advocacy "to meet the needs of refugees and immigrants in a culturally sensitive manner," according to program coordinator Kerry Foley...

Seminar in Murfreesboro focuses on Somalis (03/24/08)
MURFREESBORO -- "There will always be change." Those were the words of Salaad Nur, a Somali immigrant who spoke Thursday evening at Middle Tennessee State University to a group of students about the refugees who have moved to this state after fleeing their war torn country...

Timely phone call led to grand jury action (03/24/08)
Bedford County's grand jury has indicted a Shelbyville man on theft and traffic charges arising from a December incident that culminated with his arrest at about the time police were interviewing the complainant. With a suspect in custody, an observant officer noticed his prisoner had a cell phone, so he had a fellow officer call the victim's number. The cell phone found on the suspect began to ring, according to police reports...

Cost control emphasized to county officials (03/21/08)
Cost control and record-keeping were stressed during a meeting Thursday of the county's department heads. The quarterly luncheon meeting was held Thursday at the Bedford County Emergency Management Agency building on Railroad Avenue. It included the presentation of bonus checks to the staff of Bedford County Zoning Office for their cost-saving measures...

Vets may get lottery-funded scholarships (03/21/08)
Tennessee General Assembly's lottery subcommittee looking at proposals for disbursing excess lottery funds, chaired by Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), has recommended several bills for passage to the full committee. According to Tracy, there is $460 million in the lottery reserve account, of which $50 million must be kept in savings under current law...

Two churches step up for disaster relief (03/20/08)
Last year, Bedford County Emergency Management Agency began working with area churches to provide short-term shelter locations where people could ride out a severe storm in safety. But those shelters are only meant for a few hours, until severe weather has passed. What happens in the event of a major disaster, like the tornadoes that struck Tennessee in February, when a substantial number of people lose their homes all at once?...

E-911 board can't be reorganized for four years (03/20/08)
Bedford County Board of Commissioners' rules and legislative committee heard Tuesday night that the county can't reorganize the Emergency Communications District (E-911) board for four years, due to a contractual agreement between the district and the county...

Donations still sought for World War II vets' trip (03/19/08)
Donations are still needed for next month's trip to the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. for Bedford County's World War II veterans. According to Robert Daniel, who is heading up the project, March 25 is the cutoff date for veterans to register and donations are still arriving...

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