Jackson leaders meet to discuss proposed budget changes

JACKSON, Tenn. — Proposed budget changes are underway for the City of Jackson.

At the city budget meeting, leaders looked at how they’re going to navigate the mayor’s updated budget presenting major changes. Here’s the most important orders of business discussed.

“In our budget meeting today, we were looking at how do we either remove things from the budget, or put things back in from the mayor’s updated budget where the mayor did some major cutting. So, we thought it was important to put fire and police back into the budget at a more aggressive way because of some concerns that we have in the community,” said City Councilman Frank McMeen.

We spoke with Jackson Mayor Scott Conger who tells us his intention for the new budget proposal.

“We had several items that were requested to be removed in a proposal. From different things in the civic center to different things in other departments that our purchase is beyond operating needs. My proposal was to do this so we can start immediate meetings to talk about that so we can send an amended budget to the state once we get those numbers worked out,” said Mayor Conger.

According to Councilman McMeen, in 2024, the budget fund balance was $25 million. For 2025, the budget fund went down to $18 million within a month.

McMeen tells us why.

“It was like ‘So where did this go?’ And it went for some things that are going to be reimbursed, so some more of that will be happening as we look at Airways. You’re going to see us spending money, and that money coming back to us,” said McMeen.

The mayor is asking council to lead the next phase of the conversation by taking a more active role in building a financial plan for the future.

“We’re going to be looking at some other ways that we either can cut or we may need to add back to some things that were taken out, but we’re trying our best to make it to where it is no tax increase,” said McMeen.

Council members also discussed plans for a retirement program that lowers the expense for the city, happening only for new employees.

Nothing will change for current employees with their pension program or retirement plan.

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