Cookeville Council OKs first reading of FY2025 budget amendment affecting eight funds

Cookeville — The Cookeville City Council on May 1 voted 5-0 on first reading to approve Ordinance O 25 0504, an amendment to the city’s fiscal year 2025 budget that changes revenues and expenditures across eight funds.

At a public hearing, Miss Emily, a city staff member, told the council the ordinance “amends the fiscal year 25 budget for 8 of our 17 funds,” and then listed revenue increases and expenditure adjustments across the general fund, state street aid fund, solid waste fund, animal control fund, Quality of Life fund, debt service fund, general improvement bond fund and the transportation fund.

The ordinance increases general fund budgeted revenues by $1,347,034, including a $1,000,000 other revenue item listed as interest earnings and multiple smaller items such as opioid settlement revenue and intergovernmental state money for the police department. On the expenditure side, the general fund net change was a decrease of $1,064,002.81, with line-item shifts that include a $250,000 reduction for software licensing fees and increases for police salaries and payroll taxes of $159,505 and capital for police vehicles of $31,004.35.

Other notable adjustments read into the record: a $2,200,000 reduction in fire department truck capital, an increase of $445,000 in public works capital (including $235,000 for a Spring Street stormwater project), a $100,000 revenue increase in the state street aid fund to cover a TDOT grant match, and a $1,164,000 revenue increase to the general improvement bond fund reflecting ARPA money placed there to offset a fire station property purchase. The debt service fund showed an increased transfer-in of $842,551 from the transportation fund and an overall revenue increase of $1,000,001.42 tied to interest earnings and transfers.

Miss Emily said the changes also include grant revenue and matching expenditures for police ($98,000) and fire ($62,334) and adjustments in the solid waste and animal control funds for tipping fees, sale of equipment and a bequest of $97,006.56 to the animal shelter. She recommended approval and answered council questions before the council closed the public hearing and voted.

Motion to approve the ordinance on first reading was made by Councilman Walker and seconded by Vice Mayor Eldridge; the vote was 5-0.

The ordinance will return for any subsequent readings or final adoption per the council’s rules; staff said they were available to answer follow-up questions regarding specific line items.