City Council narrows schedule for budget votes as debate over tax increase continues

Chattanooga City Council members on Aug. 5 agreed on a compressed schedule of public hearings and votes for the mayor's 2025 budget as debate continued over a proposed millage increase to fund raises for police and fire and other investments.

The council set an administrative public hearing for Aug. 19 and a council public hearing tied to an alternate budget on Aug. 26; the council aims to take a second (final) vote on Sept. 9, council members said. Councilman Kelvin Henderson also announced an ad hoc committee and requested an alternate public hearing date; council leaders accommodated that timing while cautioning staff that the schedule creates a tight production window for tax bills and state filings.

Council members said they expect further line-by-line review before any final vote. Chairwoman Hill and budget leaders emphasized the city's deadline to allow the finance office and state comptroller time to print and mail property tax bills if a rate change is adopted.

"The reason for trying to have second and final read on the ninth was to provide ample time for finance to do what it needs to do in terms of submitting everything finalized with the comptroller ... and to create, print, and mail the tax bills," a city official told councilmembers during the scheduling discussion. Council members said that timeline informed the compromise of two hearings and the Sept. 9 final vote.

The public comment period at the meeting drew several speakers urging opposing outcomes. Firefighter and labor representatives urged support for the mayor's proposed $1.99 (dollar-and-ninety-nine) millage to fund pay and retention measures for public-safety personnel; other residents urged the council to find cuts in the proposed budget and to avoid a large tax increase that they said would harm seniors and homeowners.

"This proposal isn't just about numbers. It's about people," Jack Thompson, president of the Chattanooga Firefighters Association Local 820, told the council, urging approval of the mayor's plan to increase the rate so the department can recruit and retain firefighters. Jason Brown, representing SEIU Local 205's Chattanooga chapter, also urged support for the mayor's proposed millage, citing on-call and callback pay in the mayor's package.

Other speakers, including homeowners and retirees, asked the council to eliminate what they described as "pork" in the mayor's proposal or to delay changes that would raise tax bills on residents already dealing with increased assessments and higher living costs.

Council members said they will continue conversations, convene an ad hoc committee and hold public meetings in districts ahead of the Aug. 26 hearing so members can hear directly from residents before voting.

Councilmember Elliott said he had not made a final decision and repeated a frequent theme from council: the need to balance supporting first responders while protecting vulnerable residents from rate shocks. "There's gonna have to be some level of increase. That part is unavoidable. How much is the question," he said during the meeting.

The council's calendar now calls for: administrative budget presentation and hearing Aug. 19; council public hearing (alternate budget proposals and first council vote for Henderson's alternate) Aug. 26; and second/final council vote Sept. 9. Council leaders said they will try to preserve the timeline needed for state filings and mailing tax bills, and they urged residents to attend the district meetings and the public hearings to influence any final action.

Ending: The council's process remains fluid; members said they will continue to meet in committee, hear district input and refine the mayor's proposal during the weeks before the Sept. 9 final vote.