Unemployment rate increases in 74 counties,
decreases in 19
April
24, 2009
Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate
for March 2009 was released in late April at 9.6
percent, a 0.6 percentage point higher than the
revised February rate of 9.0 percent. The United
States’ unemployment rate for the month of March was
8.5 percent.
In
Haywood County the rate ticked up only slightly to
13.8 percent, up from February’s 13.3%. Other area
unemployment rates include: Madison County - 9.7
percent, Fayette County at 10.5 percent, Hardeman
County reporting 11.4 percent, Tipton County - 12.3
percent, Crockett at 13.1 percent and Lauderdale
County at 18.2 percent.
Two city streets to get new surface
April 14, 2009
City
officials say it will cost $277,425 to repave two
city streets. Work is expected to begin on Hatchie
Street and on Anderson Avenue in “four to six
weeks.” The city board approved the expenditure
during a meeting Tuesday. Anderson will be
resurfaced from East Main Street to the bypass.
Funds
provided by state government will cover most of the
cost. City government’s share is $70,000.
Mayor
Webb Banks said additional paving work may be done
on other streets, but presently there are no firm
plans.
State comments on recreation here
Mayor
Webb Banks and aldermen heard a presentation made by
Gerald Parish who works for the State Parks and
Recreation Technical Advisory Service.
Parrish, the former director of Brownsville/Haywood
County Parks and Recreation, presented the state’s
recreation assessment at this week’s city board
meeting. Aldermen took no action, but said they will
review the lengthy document.
Recommendations include stricter employee hiring
standards and the removal of unsafe playground
equipment. Parrish says governments must also work
to bring playgrounds into compliance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
Interviews conducted for the report with residence
here indicate there should be more in-door
recreational opportunities. Parrish said that
preparing for the new jobs and residents the
Megasite might bring should have leaders thinking
about the enticement good recreational opportunities
provide.
Zoning Ordinance change effects
commercial zones
Acting
on a recommendation from the city planning board,
Brownsville’s Aldermen approved changes to
commercial ordinances that describe “lot lines.” The
changes allow “zero” lot lines in certain
circumstances for multiple story commercial
buildings.
The
ordinance applies, according to Mayor Webb Banks, to
so-called strip malls.
County Commission approves new bond
application
Haywood County Commissioners weren’t scheduled to
meet in April, but a specially called meeting Monday
afternoon brought most of the commissioners together
to correct a problem with a previously approved bond
application.
County
Mayor Franklin Smith also updated commissioners on
progress being made with the criminal justice
complex and the Megasite.
Commissioners had already given the nod to issuance
of $300,000 worth of bonds that will help pay for a
new maintenance shop and garbage truck for the
county’s solid waste operation. The bonds will
couple with a $50,000 grant and $20,000 in capital
from county taxpayers to cover the cost.
Mayor
Smith explained that the new approval was needed
because the original application did not include all
of the legal specifications for the bond issuance.
FEMA and TEMA contribute to criminal
justice complex
Designers of the new jail and justice building have
included a so-called “safe space” in the new
building, and planners say they’ve now won state and
federal grants to help cover the cost.
The
safe space, built like a “bunker” to withstand
events like tornados, includes “two halls and
central dispatch.”
The
Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay
$427,157 of the cost and the Tennessee Emergency
Management Agency will contribute $71,193.
County
Mayor Franklin Smith says progress is being made
gaining ownership of the property where the justice
complex is being built. The owners, Newton, Oldacre
and McDonald, have hired a firm, Smith says, that
may be able to resolve their financing issues that
have so far stopped county government from closing
the $1.8 million transaction.
Mayor says Megasite funds may total
nearly $50 million
A
project started under the leadership of County Mayor
John Sharpe and former Chamber of Commerce Director
Sandra Silverstein in 2004, has now gotten the full
attention of state government.
Mayor
Franklin Smith credited Sharpe and Silverstein with
getting the Megasite idea underway. Mayor Smith has
nurtured the project since his election as mayor.
His work has included negotiating land options for
the super industrial park. The tracts are located
near Exit 42 and include at least 1700 acres.
Governor Phil Bredesen, Smith says, has included $20
million in his budget to buy the land and another
$27 million to develop the park. The governor’s
budget must be approved by the legislature.
Railroad lifts moratorium on new customers
April 6, 2009
For
months Haywood County’s industrial recruiting
efforts have been at a virtual standstill because
the CSX railroad says it will accept no more
customers here.
That’s
all changed, according to Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director Joe Ing.
Ing
said during a meeting on April 3, railroad officials
and local governments reached agreement that allows
the chamber and other officials to “go back to
recruiting efforts.”
The
problem, according to the railroad, has been the
lack of switching capacity in Brownsville. The lack
of infrastructure meant the railroad couldn’t
provide service to additional customers.
Ing
says all of the details haven’t been decided, but
the railroad plans on building a new switchyard in
the new industrial park located on the bypass at
Windrow Road.
Exactly who pays for the switchyard, Ing says, is
unclear. Ing said the railroad is “willing to do
part,” but local government will be searching for
grant funds to help.
Haywood unemployment drops slightly
Haywood County’s unemployment rate dropped slightly
in February to 13.4 from 13.5 percent in January.
The state’s rate rose to 9.1 percent, and the
national rate followed suit going to 8.1 percent, up
from 7.6 percent in January.
In
neighboring counties, two experienced rate
decreases, one stayed the same, and four had
increases in unemployment rates. Crockett County’s
rate is 13.3 percent, Fayette County -10.1, Hardeman
County - 10.7 percent, Lauderdale - 17.9 percent,
Madison County - 9 percent, Shelby County - 8.6
percent, and Tipton County’s unemployment rate is
12.2 percent.
Castellaw to lead WTIA
Regie Castellaw
Regie Castellaw, manager of
the City of Brownsville Utility Department, is the
new president of the West Tennessee Industrial
Association. John Etheridge, manager of the Paris
Board of Public Utilities, is the association’s
vice-president, and Bret Fisher, general manager of
the Trenton Light & Water Department, is the new
secretary/treasurer. The Association is in its 53rd
year of providing industrial and economic
development assistance to the 21-county region in
West Tennessee.
Mr.
Castellaw and the officers will lead the
association’s efforts to attract and retain jobs in
the region.
Leadership class has “vision”
Members of the Leadership Haywood County Class
attended “Vision Day” on March 19. Members are (back
row, from left) Rev. Mark Conway, John Ashworth,
Scott Stoots and Ben Thornton; (front row, from
left) Greg Douglass, Vicky Fawcett, Alice Taylor,
Ivie Wheeler, Lisa Paris, Della Ligon, Marie Watkins
and Gem Bell. Not pictured are Lisa Carlton and
Elliott Simmons.
As
the 2008-2009 Leadership Haywood County class nears
the end of its sessions, they gathered at a relaxing
rural setting March 19 to discuss their vision for
the community. Frankie McCord, Regional Economic
Development Specialist with the State Economic and
Community Development Department, conducted the
meeting. Members learned about the state’s 3-Star
Award, which Brownsville-Haywood County holds, and
McCord led them through the process of identifying
what they think the community’s highest priorities
in areas of improvement should be.
Next week the group’s final session will be a visit
to Nashville to learn about state government before
their graduation ceremony on April 16.
Facilitating the Vision Day session were Leadership
Board members Rev. Harrell Nation, Rita Hathcock and
Chairman Jo Matherne.
Seymour to lead the Tomcats
Superintendent of Schools Marlon King announced at
the school board meeting Tuesday night that former
HHS Tomcat player Tim Seymour was selected to lead
the football team at Haywood High. Superintendent
King (right) and HHS Principal Robert Mitchell
(left) congratulated him on his new position.
When the Haywood County School Board met on Tuesday
night, members had a full agenda, but had to wait
until the last minute to hear the big news of the
night. Superintendent Marlon King announced that Tim
Seymour was selected to lead the HHS Tomcat football
team. Seymour, who was a Tomcat and played college
ball at the University of Memphis, is currently the
physical education teacher at Sunny Hill School and
served as assistant football coach to Bart Stowe who
left his position at HHS to coach in Dyersburg.
Seymour was selected by a panel of five from among
11 applicants for the position.
In
other business, school board members discussed the
Catherine Truss Colhoun Scholarship Fund, learned
about the Spring Mini-Grants, approved two ROTC
trips and heard a presentation by Principal Robert
Mitchell about Haywood High.
Jack Moses, investor with CAC Financials, spoke to
the board about the options for investing the
Catherine Truss Colhoun Scholarship Fund. After
listening to the report, board members voted to let
CFO Vincent Harvell make a recommendation for
handling the funds.
Summer school dates in Haywood County Schools were
set for May 26 through June 19, and Board Chairman
Harold Garrett read to the board and audience for
approval the selection of teachers who will receive
Spring Mini-Grants. More information will be
available on these grants next week.
Board members also approved two out-of-town trips
for HHS AFJROTC cadets, one to a drill competition
in Oxford, Mississippi, and one to take four
students to a leadership school in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Before HHS Principal Mitchell presented an overview
of academics, athletics and other programs at HHS,
he presented to the board the curriculum for
approval for the 2009-2010 school year.
Director’s Report
In his Director’s Report, Superintendent King gave
board members a report on the activities of his
Advisory Committee. Among other things, the
committee will hold Easter Egg Hunts at the
elementary schools and a scavenger hunt at Sunny
Hill in April.
He
also reported on his reorganization plan for the
Justice Academy, the Alternative School and the
Adult Basic Education program. Mary Hood will lead
this department, serving as principal/director and
will report directly to the superintendent.
Superintendent King also thanked City Mayor Webb
Banks and County Mayor Franklin Smith for help with
clearing school parking lots and county roads after
the snow last week.
The
next board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on April
14.
City board still contemplating 2009/2010 budget
March
11, 2009
Mayor Webb Banks and City Clerk Jerry Taylor remain
on edge about next year’s city budget. Banks told
aldermen this week that he still wants a budget
committee to review cuts necessary to avoid a tax
increase and keep spending in balance with income.
Taylor says he anticipates reduced funding from
state government to be “19 to 25 percent” from
previous levels.
The
mayor has said up to $500,000 must be reduced from
the city’s budget, and he expects that means cutting
services. So far Banks hasn’t hinted at what might
be cut.
At
last month’s meeting Banks appointed a budget
committee to include Aldermen Joe Taylor and Carolyn
Flagg to join Jerry Taylor in reviewing next year’s
plan. The mayor said the trio hasn’t met but expects
they will between now and the April meeting of the
board. The city’s fiscal year ends in June.
Professional collectors hired
Last year Haywood County government decided to hire
a professional collection agent to try and collect a
backlog of nearly $5 million due general sessions
court. This week the Brownsville City Board hired
the same firm to try and collect past due accounts
due Brownsville’s City Court.
City Clerk Jerry Taylor said there is about $275,000
on the court’s books, but he said not all of it
would be turned over to the collection agency. He
said he wasn’t sure how much the firm would be asked
to collect. The collection agency has agreed to add
their fee, $50, to each account.
Home renovation grant request
City leaders believe there is a high probability
they’ll win a $500,000 grant. The funds would be
used to rehabilitate homes owned by low-income
residents. Mayor Webb Banks says he believes there
is enough money in the grant that, “We might be able
to do 17 to 20 homes.”
Homeowners are not required to pay the money back as
long as they live in the house for at least five
years after completion of the work.
City board approves zoning ordinance changes
What is being described as mostly “technical
changes” in the zoning ordinance got the nod from
city fathers when they met Tuesday afternoon. Under
one change, regulations regarding definitions of a
subdivision and procedural matters were changed.
In
a separate change the board broadened rules
regarding “zero” lot lines for multiple story
buildings. The new rules include “all commercial
zones designed for multiple stories.”
Megasite may lead to mega-education bonanza
Mayor Webb Banks said this week that the Southwest
Tennessee Economic Development Authority is working
on an initiative that could lead to funding higher
education for every high school graduate in the
area.
The
funds could be used for up to two years of college
or technical school tuition. Banks and STEDA’s Duane
Lavery believe the program would provide a
substantial incentive to local employers and
especially to megasite prospects. Large employers
look for a trained workforce, Banks explained.
He
didn’t say exactly where the money would come from
but it would, mostly, be obtained from state and
federal sources.
Haywood County unemployment rate increases in
January
It’s no surprise that the unemployment rate is up in
Tennessee across the board – all 95 counties saw
rate increases. The state rate went from 7.6 percent
in December to 8.6 percent in January. In Haywood
County, the rate increased from 11.7 percent in
December to 13.5 percent in January. The national
rate is also up .4 percent from 7.2 to 7.6 percent
in January.
In
neighboring counties, Crockett County’s rate jumped
to 13.7 percent, up from 10.6 in December. Fayette
County increased to 10.2 percent from 8.6 percent;
Lauderdale County has the second worst unemployment
rate at 18.6, up from 15.7 in December. Tipton
County came in at 11.5 percent, up from 9.6 percent
in December.
The
worst unemployment rate in the state is Perry County
at 27.3 percent.
Stanton Planning Commission meets
February 19, 2009
By Debbie Sterbinsky
Stanton Planning Commission members met in regular
session on February 19. Pictured are members (from
left) Royce Barnett, Linda Jones, Frank Fawcett,
Chairperson Laura Smith, Mayor Allan Sterbinsky, and
state planner Shelton Merrill and an A2H
representative.
The
Stanton Planning Commission voted against adopting the
current proposed plan by A2H when they met on February
19. Options include enlarging the footprint of Stanton
to more effectively house the proposed number of
residents expected in the future and examine potential
locations not included in previous plans. The town has
asked A2H to provide a conceptual drawing of an option
that extends southeast towards Exit 47 on I 40.
Stanton already provides utilities to Exit 47 and
beyond.
After
the conceptual drawing is received, the Commission
will then re-examine all plans, make adjustments where
they deem appropriate and adopt a plan that is
strategically viable for Stanton. Adopting a plan is
essential for Stanton’s future because the county’s
proposed Megasite will cause growth quickly in the
next few years, or the suburbs of Memphis will
continue to move closer to Stanton in the long term.
In
other business, Hunt Gallina and Sam Mathes (owners of
dangerous downtown properties) were present at the
meeting. The Commission provided them with deadlines
for cleaning up their properties. Another downtown
property owner, Earl Rice, attended his first meeting
and presented plans to bring his buildings up to code.
The plans will be examined by the town’s inspector
Jerry McClinton.
The
Stanton Planning Commission voted to change their
meeting date to the third Thursday of the month due to
board member conflicts with their previous meeting
date of the first Tuesday of each month.
Budget cuts will avoid tax increase, mayor says
February
11, 2009
Finding a half-million dollars in budget cuts has been
tasked to two members of the city board and the city
clerk. Mayor Webb Banks asked the trio to start
looking into ways to cut the city’s spending for the
fiscal year starting in July.
Banks’ mandate comes in the wake of the country’s
economic downturn and, the mayor says, he believes
revenues delivered to Brownsville by the state will be
cut at least $250,000 in the next fiscal year. Coupled
with a planned $200,000 pay raise for city employees,
Banks wants the budget cuts to total $500,000.
“If I
knew where there was wasteful spending, I’d already
have cut it out,” Banks told aldermen Monday
afternoon. The mayor believes some “services” will
have to be cut to accomplish the goal but he says he
wants to do it where there will be “the least amount
of impact.”
Vice-Mayor Joe Taylor and Alderman Carolyn Flagg will
join City Clerk Jerry Taylor in reviewing the budget
and recommending cuts.
The
mayor said last night the city’s reserve funds had
been as high as $4million but, he says, the savings
account has dwindled to about $500,000.
Extending downtown parking rules fails
February
11, 2009
The
city board voted not to extend the two-hour downtown
parking rules to parking spaces bordering Insouth
Bank, located just south of the square.
A
city ordinance makes it illegal to park for more than
two hours on the square and one block off the square.
The
request to extend the parking regulations further
south was on the mayor’s agenda during Monday’s city
board meeting. Aldermen said extending the parking
rules would add enforcement expense and “open up”
discussion about extending the rules to other areas
off the square.
Local unemployment rate changes very little
February
3, 2009
Employment news reported around the country has been
mostly terrible, but Haywood County’s rate in December
has changed little in the past few months. The latest
numbers just released report that Haywood County’s
unemployment rate ticked up only slightly in December
to 10.9 percent. That’s up .9 percent from November.
All
counties in Tennessee showed an increased unemployment
rate. Rates in Haywood County’s surrounding counties
are: Fayette County - 8.9 percent, Hardeman - 9
percent, Tipton - 9.7 percent, Crockett - 10.8
percent, and Lauderdale is now 15.3 percent, up from
13.9 a month earlier. Lauderdale County has the second
highest unemployment rate in Tennessee. Madison
County’s December rate is 7.5 percent, up from, 6.8
percent, and Shelby County’s rate is also 7.5, up from
6.9 percent in November.
The
state’s rate for December is 7.9 percent, up from 7
percent in November, and the national rate is 7.2
percent, up from 6.8 percent in November.
County prepares to sue landowners
January 20, 2009
Haywood County Commissioners vowed Tuesday night at
their meeting to sue the owners of the old Wal-Mart
property if they don’t make good right away on their
promise to sell the land and building to county
government.
County leaders thought they had a deal to buy the
huge, empty building and about 7 acres from Newton
Oldacre and Associates but so far they’ve not been
able to close the $1.8 million transaction. The
property will be converted to a criminal justice
complex. Based on discussion at this week’s county
commission meeting about a million dollars has already
been spent on the $15 million plan.
Commissioners voted unanimously to enact their power
of imminent domain if the deal isn’t consummated right
away.
The
hold-up has already cost taxpayers money, according to
County Mayor Franklin Smith.
Smith
led the negotiations that started in August of 2008.
The delay, according to the mayor, is that the owners
“haven’t wanted to talk to their lender.” Apparently
the seller’s security agreements mean actually
delivering the deed via an arrangement that places the
deed and taxpayer’s $1.8 million in escrow until deal
consummation in 2010 is central to the delay. The
complicated sale arrangement has been caused in part
because of a lease Wal-Mart still holds on the
property.
County attorney Michael Banks and other lawyers have
been working on the deal for months. Banks says he
doesn’t know “what the time frame would be” to work
through the lawsuit. He also says there is little
doubt the county can win, but the price set by the
court could be “more or less” than the current agreed
upon amount of $1.8 million.
Newton Oldacre and Associates “have been assured” the
county won’t act on its promise to sue if immediate
action is taken to close the deal. Meanwhile at least
three contractors say they will increase their
construction bids because they weren’t able to start
on time, and Smith says, he has ordered an appraisal
of the property in the event the case is forced into
court.
Though no one set a deadline during the meeting, the
discussion seemed to center around February 1. The
mayor said if construction hasn’t started by February
13 the whole project will have to be re-bid.
County standing committees
Also
when the county commission met on Tuesday, Mayor
Franklin Smith made no changes in county government’s
standing committees, including budget, public safety,
jail and solid waste.
The
county’s most active and powerful budget committee
includes Commissioners Allen King, Becky Booth, Jerry
Smith, Ronald woods, Robert Green and Leonard Jones
Jr.
New school superintendent speaks to commission
New
Director of Schools Marlon King received a rousing
applause from county commissioners and those attending
this week’s county commission meeting after a short
introductory address.
The
local educational system “will not affect” industrial
recruiting, King said. King pledged to make the system
a place where parents will want to send their
children.
King
says he puts the children’s safety first, followed by
professional development of staff, the recruitment of
parents who have chosen to send their kids to private
schools or home school and the attraction of jobs as a
result of a model school system.
And,
there will be a special called meeting of the Haywood
County School Board on Tuesday, January 27, at 1 p.m.
On the agenda, according to Superintendent Marlon
King, are accountability and his organizational flow
chart.
New court fees to help public defender’s office
Accused of a misdemeanor or felony? If you go to court
and are required to pay court costs expect those fees
to be raised by $12.50. County commissioners agreed
Tuesday to hike the fees in accordance with a
Tennessee law designed to help fund the public
defenders office.
Public defender Tom Crider asked the commission to
approve the measure because of state budget cuts.
Crider’s office provides defense services to those who
can’t pay.
Commissioners to seek funds for new water tower
A new
water tank would be erected somewhere in northern
Haywood County if a grant request is approved. County
commissioners approved the $500,000 Community
Development Block grant request this week. The grant
will pay for most of the cost of construction.
Solid waste billing changed
The
county’s solid waste department has been assessing a
$3 late penalty on monthly fees for rural property
owners if their bills aren’t paid by the 20th of the
month.
New
policy to become effective February 1 will provide
more time to pay the bill — moving the effective date
of the late fee to the first of the next month.
City bans bars and taverns
January 13, 2009
A measure prohibiting “bars and
taverns” in Brownsville’s general commercial districts
passed the city board Monday night. During their
regular monthly session on January 13, aldermen
unanimously agreed to the change in the zoning
ordinance suggested last month by city planners. No
one commented during the pubic hearing.
The
new rules clarify language that could have allowed
bars and taverns in areas zoned general commercial.
Utility rates to be lowered
City fathers learned this week that natural gas rates
would be lowered February 1. The news comes just after
the delivery of bruising utility bills. The
Brownsville Energy Authority is lowering the rate by 9
percent.
The
rate reduction comes on the heals of lower rates for
electricity that took effect on January 1.
Economic coalition sets goals
Goals
set by the Southwest Tennessee Economic Development
Authority (STEDA) focus on development of Haywood
County’s megasite.
Mayor
Webb Banks at the meeting Tuesday night presented
STEDA’s five-page outline of its planned work that
includes, among other things, implementation of
“measures to acquire megasite property.”
The
land options for the megastite expire November 30. In
the notes, STEDA recognizes that “options are not
likely to happen again.” Tennessee’s government just
provided funding for the options that cost nearly $1.8
million.
Developing infrastructure, marketing and preparing the
area’s workforce is also on STEDA’s agenda.
The
Southwest Tennessee Economic Development Authority is
a coalition of utilities and governments in Haywood,
Tipton and Lauderdale Counties.
304th MP Battalion transfers authority to 168th
MP Battalion
Lt. Col. Brad Bishop and Command Sgt. Maj. Jay Smith, 168th Military
Police Battalion, uncase their battalion colors during
a transfer of authority ceremony December 23 at the
Camp Bucca stage on the Iraq and Kuwaiti border. (U.S.
Army photo by 1st Lt. Lawrence A. Robinson)
Lt.
Col. Carol Haas, 304th Military Police Battalion
Commander, transferred authority to Lt. Col. Brad
Bishop, 168th MP Battalion Commander, during a
ceremony December 23 at Camp Bucca, Iraq. Lt. Col.
Bishop is from Brownsville.
This
ceremony marks the 168th MP Battalion’s second
deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The
Dyersburg, Tennessee, based unit was originally
organized and federally recognized on Apr. 23, 1932,
as Company I,117th Infantry, and went on to serve in
World War II. The unit was converted and re-designated
on Feb. 1, 1968, as Headquarters and Headquarters
Detachment, 168th Military Police Battalion. In 2003,
the unit deployed to Iraq and recognized with the
Meritorious Unit Citation (MUC) and Iraq Campaign
Streamer.
“The
168th Military Police Battalion has conducted an
aggressive training plan left of the line, and I am
fully confident my soldiers are ready to assume this
mission and maintain the high standards set by Joint
Task Force 134 and the 42nd MP Brigade. I would also
like to thank Lt. Col. Haas and the Soldiers of the
304th MP Battalion for an extremely beneficial left
seat/right seat battle handover,” said Bishop.
Brig.
Gen. David Quantock, Joint Task Force 134 Commander,
Detainee Operations, presided over the ceremony and
witnessed Bishop and Command Sgt. Maj. Jay Smith
uncase the 168th MP Battalion colors.
The
304th MP Bn. will return to Nashville, Tennessee,
sometime in January.
Camp
Bucca is a forward operating base along the Kuwaiti
border near the port city of Umm Qasr, Iraq’s
southernmost city.
Haywood County unemployment down
The
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce
Development, Employment Security Division released the
November unemployment figures this week, and Haywood
County’s rate is down from the October rate of 11.2
percent to 10.2 percent. In Tennessee, 62 counties saw
an increase in rates, and 20 counties’ rates
decreased. Thirteen counties’ unemployment rates
remained the same.
Most
of Haywood’s neighboring counties also saw decreases
in rates. Crockett County, however, saw an increase
from 8.4 percent in October to 9.0 percent in
November. Fayette County had a decrease in
unemployment from 8.3 to 7.7 percent. Lauderdale’s
rate went down slightly from 14.4 percent to 14.1
percent. Madison County’s rate remained the same at
6.7 percent. Tipton and Shelby counties rates also
decreased from 8.9 to 8.7 and 7.1 to 6.8 percent,
respectively.
The
state’s rate went from 7.0 percent in October to 6.9
percent in November. The national rate is 6.7 percent,
up from 6.5 percent in October.
City braces for state budget cuts
Mayor
Webb Banks this week briefed aldermen on a letter he’s
received from Tennessee government stating that the
state may be forced to cut revenues it shares with
cities.
Banks
said Brownsville’s budget includes almost $1.5 million
in funds that come from the state, including portions
of sales, beer and gasoline taxes. The state also
provides money for street improvement.
State
officials predict the state will be short $800 million
in this fiscal year.
Banks
said clues in the letter make him believe the state
might cut as much as $400,000. “Before this year is
over — before the next budget we’re going to have to
face this,” Banks said. The city’s fiscal year ends
June 30, 2009.
Banks
said a combination of cuts and, perhaps, property tax
increases could be required to make up for the
shortfall.
Brownsville could benefit from federal budget
largesse
While
state officials are putting local governments on
notice that funding may be cut, federal officials are
saying that a stimulus package may provide new money
for local infrastructure improvement.
Mayor
Webb Banks said this week several organizations,
including the Tennessee Municipal League and the West
Tennessee Industrial Association, have instructed
municipalities to put together a wish-list in case the
incentive becomes reality.
Part
of President-elect Barack Obama’s plan to get the
economy going again is job creation through
federally-funded infrastructure improvement.
Mayor
Banks says city leaders have put together a list of
items that could require $16 million. Banks said the
list includes building the utility system required to
annex south of I-40, replacing certain aging equipment
at the Brownsville Utility Department, expanded
downtown renovation and development of the new
industrial park.