Shelbyville council weighs $2 million budget gap; approves staff hires, vehicles and capital items

City Manager Scott Collins told the Shelbyville Mayor and City Council at a June budget review work session that the city faces roughly a $2.0 million shortfall in the draft fiscal plan and asked the council for direction on which cuts or revenue moves to pursue.

Collins said the revised “version 2” budget — produced after recent council guidance — raised the projected ending general fund balance for FY2026 to about $11.8 million, but left an operating gap the council must address. Collins told members they could balance the budget by cutting most 2026 capital projects, pausing proposed new positions or drawing on reserve funds, and warned that doing so would be painful for services and staffing.

The discussion focused on a handful of recurring policy choices: whether to fund a new GIS technician and a single IT support position, whether to proceed with multiple vehicle replacements for public safety, how much to hold back for the Riverview District and flood‑pump projects, and whether to fund a $600,000 local match for a roughly $6 million airport project. Collins also presented an Austin Peay contract estimate for GIS services over five years and said the estimate would cost roughly $848,000 if the council chose an outside vendor rather than a city hire.

Why it matters: the council approved specific personnel and capital items during the work session while also setting pay and general policy priorities that will affect the final adopted budget.…