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Oak Ridge council approves budget cleanup and restores social-services line on first reading
Summary
The council approved budget amendments on first reading—moving ARPA and capital-project funds, adding $250,000 for a comprehensive plan and addressing bookkeeping adjustments—and restored social-services utility assistance funding to the 2024 level of $255,145. The measure passed 6–0; final adoption is expected at the next reading.
Oak Ridge city leaders on June 3 approved a package of budget amendments on first reading that reclassify prior allocations, add funds for a comprehensive plan and restore a social-services line to last year’s level.
During a presentation, finance staff described several bookkeeping and program adjustments. Janice McGinnis said schools requested an amendment reflecting newly anticipated grants and revenues, and staff moved $1,764,096 from the capital projects fund to the waterworks fund to align ARPA and project spending. She also said the city added $150,000 each for information services and finance equipment rental and increased the comprehensive plan allocation to $250,000.
"The Eckerd schools have requested a … amendment to the 2024 budget," Janice McGinnis said, explaining that the schools realized additional grant and other revenues after the budget was developed.
Councilmember Smith raised questions about apparent differences in the general-fund totals across slides and moved to restore a social-services budget line—utility-assistance funding—to $255,145, saying the city should maintain support for low-income residents. "I would like to restore that budget to the $255,145 that was in the budget for 2024," Smith said. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; the clerk recorded six ayes and no nays.
Finance presenter Miss Teeman described other technical adjustments—lower-than-expected boiler costs at a middle school, depreciation changes and two positions that were already included in the budget but omitted from the presentation. She emphasized the tax rate would remain unchanged. "As soon as this budget gets adopted, we will have a strategic plan in front of you that outlines what we will achieve through this budget," Miss Teeman said.
The council adopted the ordinance on first reading as amended (six ayes, no nays). A final reading and vote are scheduled at a subsequent meeting. Councilmember Dodson was recorded as recused on a particular item earlier in the meeting.
