Jackson City Council prepares for December meeting

JACKSON, Tenn. — City leaders prepared for an upcoming meeting to discuss future plans for the Hub City on Tuesday.

In Tuesday afternoon’s Jackson City Council Review Agenda Meeting, members went over a consideration for the city budget, possibly making the budget committee an advisory committee, and a contract for collection services.

“If we’re amending the capital budget to make the number larger, then we have to do an ordinance passed the same way that the initial budget was passed,” said Jackson Mayor Scott Conger.

Conger says the budget will increase by $6 million, making this fiscal year budget $20 million.

He says the increased number will go towards city departments.

“Repaving streets, fire trucks, police cars,” Conger said. “We’re also in the process of having them construct a five-year capital plan, and them not being able to do that this fiscal year, starting July. We start working that together now.”

Conger says the new consideration for the budget is putting a hold on repaving streets, pushing that to be done in spring.

City leaders also discussed wanting to give more responsibility to the budget committee.

“In July, it was an ad hoc committee, and so this formalizes the budget committee, making it a committee of the City of Jackson,” Conger said.

Conger says doing this could possibly create a charter change, but the city is still going over the logistics of what needs to be done to make these changes.

City council members also went over new contracts.

“So you’ll see consideration for contracts for sod, for pest control, for collection services,” Conger said.

Sod is used at the T.R. White Sportsplex field and collection services for city court fines, police tickets and permits.

“Contract for long term disability, contract for deferred comp and a contract for our website, those are things that have already been out for bid,” Conger said.

Conger says more decisions will be made on these agenda items in Tuesday’s city council meeting.

That meeting is set for 9 a.m. on Tuesday at Jackson City Hall.