2022 07 19 City Council

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June 21, 2022 
Page 3 of 7 
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ORDINANCES 
 
CITY OF ATHENS BUDGET FOR THE F ISCAL YEAR 2022-2023 
 
PRESENTATION OF BUDGET 
 
City Manager Sumner shared his priority-driven budgeting philosophy and an overview of capital items 
and changes in the 2022-2023 budget.  He reviewed the items last year for accountability.   
 
ORDINANCE NO. 1109 – S ECOND READING/PUBLIC HEARING 
AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT A BUDGET AND SET THE TAX RATE ON TAXABLE PROPERTY LOCATED WITHIN 
THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF ATHENS, TENNESSEE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 2022 
THROUGH JUNE 30, 2023. 
 
The recording clerk read the caption of the above-described Ordinance .  Mayor Perkinson opened the 
public hearing.  Glenn Whiting felt it was offensive to give a five percent cost of living raise to department 
heads and the city manager instead of giving more money to the workers.  Steve Sherlin asked the Council 
to reconsider spending $375,000 for pickleball and urged them to use that money for sidewalks, streets, 
an overhead walkway at TWU, a large Olympic-size pool or community pool, or an amphitheater at Market 
Park to name just a few things.  He also felt a flat amount versus a percentage would be a fairer way of 
handling the COLA.  There being no one else wishing to speak, the public hearing was closed.  Council 
Member Curtis moved, Council Member Witt-McMahan seconded, to approve Ordinance No. 1109 on 
Second and Final Reading.  Council Member Curtis moved, Council Member Witt-McMahan seconded, 
to amend the budget to increase the budget allocation for E. G. Fisher Public Library by $4,600.  Council 
Member Curtis stated that they were already making an investment in the Library’s  bricks-and-mortar 
capital but given all the services they provide, inflation, and to make sure they can hire competitively, he 
felt they should add those dollars back into the budget that were taken out last month.  Council Member 
Witt-McMahan spoke in support of the amendment.  She felt the work that the Library employees do is 
vital to children in the community.  If the Library should come under the umbrella of the City, it would be 
less effort to catch those employees up to where the City employees are at that time and less hardship 
on those City dollars.  Vice Mayor Lockmiller commented that Library employees are  not employees of 
the City and until our employees’ salaries are up to par with other departments of their equal, he cannot 
support this increase.  This increase would go on the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) and once the MOE  is 
increased, the City’s contribution  will never go down by State law.  The amendment passed b y the 
following roll call vote: 
 
 AYES:  Curtis, Pelley, Witt-McMahan, Perkinson 
 NAYS:  Lockmiller 
 
Vice Mayor Lockmiller moved , Council Member Pelley seconded,  to remove the Communications 
Coordinator position from the budget.  Vice Mayor Lockmiller stated he did not feel now was the right 
time to be paying that extra salary and he did not feel it was a major need at this time.  Council Member 
Witt-McMahan felt that based on tonight’s discussion she  agreed that they could wait on funding th is 
position.  Council Member Curtis stated that the majority of the funding for this position is coming from 
people traveling through our community, staying at our hotels, and leaving a few dollars behind.  This is 
the most prudent use of funds that we kno w are going to be recurring and that are designated for a 
specific purpose, the people.  Funding a person through the use of lodging tax revenue to promote our 
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