Bell Buckle tax hike considered

"I've actually had citizens tell me it's ridiculously low and we ought to raise it," said Hunt.

According to Reagor, the tax increase would bring the current rate of 15.3 cents per $100 assessed value to 16 cents, although he also suggested an 11 percent increase that would raise it to 17 cents.

Reagor said the 5 percent hike would increase the taxes on a $200,000 home about $3.50.

The matter will be addressed again at the June meeting of the board. Since the board passed the first readings of the amended 2008-2009 budget and the anticipated 2009-1010 budget, a public hearing will be held before the meeting and the second reading.

The anticipated 2009-2010 budget will have to be amended if the tax hike goes through to reflect the increased revenue. Webb praised the board for the hard work it did in building the coming year's budget.

"You showed a lot of hard work and poise going through the budget," he said. "I feel positive about the budget -- cautiously optimistic. Compared to some of the other municipalities, we're doing well, but we have to watch our expenses."

Most of the numbers for the 2009-2010 anticipated budget are close to the numbers from the 2008-2009 budgets, even after it was recently amended to reflect higher costs. The total anticipated revenue for the general fund for instance is estimated at $122,945, and the expenditures are expected to run about $115,989. In the 2008-2009 original budget, the revenue was $110,655, amended to $113,584, and the expenditures were $104,041, amended to $114,676.

"We've got to do what we can do to get the job done and still be frugal," said Webb.

Besides voting through the first readings of the two budgets, the board approved the second and final reading of an ordinance increasing the town's discretionary fund from $2,500 to $10,000, the state's allowable maximum.

Planning

While giving the Planning Commission report for the absent chairman Rodney Simmons, Webb touched on the demonstration developers brought to the town dealing with the area known as The Hill.

"That was two hours we'll never get back," said Rooney.

"In all fairness," Anderson said, "It was valuable time spent because we have got to talk about that. It was a good place to start."

Anderson said the town had to plan for the future of the area involved, but that "planning doesn't have to mean doing anything -- it means planning,"

Webb said the town needed to focus on the budget cycle right now and there was "no need to rush into this."

"We need to get input from the citizens," he added.

Anderson also commented on the plans Webb School has for a memorial pavilion just off Highway 82 at Abernathy.

"The plans look very attractive," he said."

Because the area borders on the Webb basin, which is due for construction and repair work soon, the school agreed to move the pavilion back about 20 feet, Hunt said. The basin work wouldn't damage the pavilion that way, she said, and future work that might have to be done on the basin would not threaten the pavilion.

Hunt went on to give a report on the sidewalk project, which was temporarily derailed when an environmental study was not submitted on time. The study, she said, is now under review, but the town may have missed a window of opportunity this year because officials didn't want the streets and sidewalks torn up for the Webb Arts & Crafts Fair, as well as the other events scheduled this summer and fall. Once the study is approved, the town will be able to move on the project when it wants to.

"But when we're ready to go, we'll be ready to go," she said.

She said the amphitheater at the town park should be finished by the end of the month but has been held up because of bad weather.

Other business

Webb told the board he had already approached three people about serving on the Historic Zoning Commission and they had agreed to serve. They are Annie Rooney, Joe Sheetz and Shirley Johns. He said there were three more he was planning to ask and by the next board meeting, he would have a full slate to present for their approval.

"I'm going to try to make this committee a little bit top heavy with merchants," he said. "They will be the ones most affected."

Webb said he was also planning a work study session with town employees about records keeping with representatives from MTAS. The purpose of the session will be to inform the town workers what records can be shared with the public.

Chamber business

The King and Queen of the RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival were announced at the meeting. They will be WTVF (Channel 5) weatherman Lelan Statom, and Meryl Rose, who co-hosts Talk of the Town with Statom. The show did a segment on Bell Buckle recently which Hunt said brought more visitors to the town. She said Bell Buckle also competing in a Travel USA competition with a promotional video released April 29. Called "Who is the Face of Travel," the entry could bring the Chamber $5,000 if it wins.

Hunt also reminded the board that the Motorcycle Days will be this weekend and that GeoWoodstock, a geocaching world convention, will be next weekend.