Nashville’s city budget for 2017 was adopted at the city council’s regular meeting for December, 2016, last Tuesday night. The budget includes raises for city employees which led to some resistance from aldermen.
As a result, aldermen will begin meeting as a committee in late January to devise a pay schedule relative to seniority and level of skill and training.
The operating budget for 2017 calls for total income of $7.1 million, and expenditures of almost $6.8 million.
Council member Monica Clark said that the council always said it intended to work on a pay schedule, but never actually got around to it. She did not like blanket raises. Several other council members echoed her feelings.
There was a discussion of the value of bonuses compared to salary hikes, but no action was taken other than the vote on the budget ordinance including the salary hikes.
Department heads gave update reports including Public Works Director Larry Dunaway, Parks Director Mark Dale, Finance Director Kimberly Green, Fire Marshall/Code Enforcement Jerry Harwell, and assistant police chief Amy Marion for Chief Dale Pierce.
In his report, Dunaway speculated that a total of about five miles on 12 different city streets would be paved in 2017.
In attendance Tuesday were Aldermen Matt Smith, Joe Hoen, Donna Harwell, Nick Davis, Vivian Wright, Kay Gathright, James Parker, Carol Mitchell, Andy Anderson, Mike Milum and Clark. Also, Mayor Billy Ray Jones, City Clerk Mary Woodruff, City Attorney Bryan Chesshir. Outgoing finance director Jimmy Dale was also present.
