Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Clarksville Town Council held a special session and regular meeting on October 7, 2026 (the transcript references October 6, but the provided file metadata indicates October 7). The main actions included adoption of the 2026 budget after two readings, approval of salary ordinance amendments reclassifying a training inspector position, recognition of a construction award, and a proclamation for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Yes, thank you, Mr. President. So just for the record, this this is kind of a meeting before the meeting as was published a couple weeks ago for as of 545 for a 545 special session. So this will fulfill that published meeting. I send to the council we received also that we didn't by email some graphs to break down the budget proposal. And then send a separate report to Chief Upton, which I believe he'll be pre sending to you in the township very soon. So I think Mr. Glenn Adams provided you with a very good overview by email this weekend. This is our attempt to estimate for next year. However, we know that come December, the DLGF will turn around and ask us to cut something. What that amount is, we don't know. It'll be based on their uh latest assessments of local income tax uh revenues for next year, uh excise taxes for next year, because again, over half of our funding now comes from uh non-property taxes. So this is our best attempt, right? To pass something. We have to pass something by the end of October for the DLGF to review and then rebut and send back to us to amend and then uh put into execution for the next calendar year. Um comments on this. I I don't want to go into the weeds on this unless the council desires to. I'm certainly here to advise you and answer questions. Um there is a I'll just say there is a temporary pay increase for non-union factor in here. Uh with but how we would make good on that after next year, I have I cannot answer that question. Um and so again, I hate to even say what that pay increase is because the DLGF may turn around in December and ask us to do a 10% cut. Um, but we have attempted to put in a reasonable at least one time uh one year uh pay raise for at the council's request. Um the fire territory is what it is. We all know the situation is is a great one. Um at this point we are running on Theater X savings uh for the fire territory. Um I wish I had better news for you on that front. But again, um although we share with them a good chunk of our local income tax, um they only outs aside from that, all they have is their territory funding. So I know there'll be some tough decisions, I'm sure, between council and union and leadership on how we go forward from here. Um with that, uh Mr. Adams, anything else you want to add? I I thought your um your email overview was very uh respectable and uh correct and uh efficient. So I'll turn it over to you if I may. So basically tonight the four is we have a budget that is balanced, is it does require us to go to the reserve. We have done several things to mitigate additional expenses, uh made recommendations for possible future things. Um the bottom line is until DLGF comes back and says this is what your actual revenue is projected to be. I request to I know this sounds a little short-sighted, but I would request that we go ahead and pass this unanimously and then pass it again so we can hand it off to the state and be done until they come back with their final numbers. I don't know how to squeeze any more than we've squeezed. We've we've asked every single department to cut to the minimums, and we found a little bit of extra through the finance efforts, and I think those set conditions that we can afford the the pay rates that you guys just discussed. Not just now but in perpetuity. So I feel comfortable. I'm a little more optimist, but that's my job than AD's position is. So I think we're in a good place. We had the our final I represented Clarksville with the on the final NUST committee meeting with the county. And I don't know that I'm very popular with my own party at the county level right now. I was developing vote on a new uh lit rate under the new lit system that would go into effect uh in 2028. Uh at the end of the day, uh it just was not in our best interest uh to pass what was proposed. Uh right now we share a quarter of our uh lit that includes editing loyalty funds uh with our first responders, police and fire. Um while the proposal would have plugged our current fire operation deficit, it would have caused us to have to still cut three over three million dollars in uh in expenses of most of which would have been for uh police related. Um so um if you have any further questions, I don't have to you know have those conversations with you. So and just to conclude with that uh report on that meeting, um, nothing will go into effect.