City reviews success of Love Your Block program, budget preparations underway
JACKSON, Tenn. — The Jackson City Council held their regular meeting Tuesday morning.
At the beginning of the meeting, there was a report given regarding the Love Your Block program. A couple dozen homes were repaired in 2023 and 2024, and over 5,000 pounds of litter was collected as well.
They also helped with lawn care for many community members. Jackson Mayor Scott Conger talked about how important this program is.
“If someone is physically unable, or through their finances unable, we don’t want to continue to punish them with violations and citations,” Mayor Conger said. “We want to make sure that we are coming alongside them and empowering them to stay in their homes. Aging in place and staying there safely.”
We were able to speak with Mayor Conger about the budget process for the next fiscal year.
On May 14 and 15, the City Council will have work sessions beginning at 9 a.m. each day. These work sessions will give them the opportunity to talk with departments heads regarding the next budget. They have all been given a proposal that is not completely final just yet.
“Next week, we will have as close to a final as we can have,” said Conger. “We will go through and allow the Council to ask questions by department on expenditures, revenues, and those things of that nature. Ask the questions of the departments and they can justify those expenditures.”
During the previous budget process, Mayor Conger stated multiple times that they overestimate expenses and underestimate revenue. We asked him for an update on that as this fiscal year comes to a close.
“It is looking really well. We are coming in expenses under revenues,” Conger said. “I try to remind people that a budget is a budget. It is your best guess at what the next year is going to do. The work happens throughout the year with our departments, and they’ve done a fantastic job.”
Mayor Conger says that his goal is to take the amount of revenue over expenses and move it into the capital budget.
Also at the meeting, the council voted for the first time to accept a contract to begin putting turf fields at the Sportsplex.
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