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| Dresden Board votes to increase property taxes |
By: Sara Reid, Staff Writer
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Posted: Friday, August 8, 2008 12:35 pm
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| Property taxes are going up in Dresden.
The Dresden Board of Mayor and Alderman voted 4-2 to increase the community’s property tax rate from $1.19 to $1.31.
Alderman Danny Essary voiced opposition to the increase, citing it would be a burden on the people of Dresden.
Mayor Danny Forrester responded, “This board that you are a part of passed $82,000 more in expenditures than what we have coming in.”
He added, “If that’s what you want to do, I can start the layoffs tomorrow.”
Aldermen Mike Parrish, Gwin Anderson, Danny Roberts and Mike Forchione all voted yes for increase while alderman Joyce Hurt and Essary voted against the increase.
In other news, three proposed areas were considered for annexation into the city limits of the City of Dresden. One passed unanimously and will be given further consideration at next month’s meeting of the City of Dresden Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
This past Monday night, the board considered three individual areas recommended by the planning commission -- Gaylord Road, the Paris Highway and Hwy. 22 -- and voted in favor of annexing the area on Hwy. 22, negating the other two areas.
The area on Hwy. 22 has water and sewer hook-up and no cost to the city exists for annexing the property into the city limits. Some of the property includes several Dresden businesses such as Freds, McCauley Chevrolet, Richie and Reggie’s, Little Ones Daycare, the Weakley County Finance Office and Volunteer Trucking.
Initially, the proposal to annex an area on Gaylord Road failed to receive a motion and the proposal to annex an area on the Paris Highway was voted down, 4-2.
Forrester sent a me-mo to board members on July 29 recommending proposals for all three areas. For area one (Gaylord Road), water is available. The sewer line stops at Thomas Street, the end of the current city limits. The recommendation for the area was to annex only the areas that currently lie just outside the city limits but have access to both city water and city sewer. Some of these properties would include Judge Bradberry (Parkway Street), Dr. Glisson (120 Woodside Circle) and Sam Bone (118 Woodside Circle). This would leave Gaylord Road, Darnell Lane, Cherokee Lane and Post Oak Cove untouched. With the newly proposed areas (Parkway and Woodside Circle) already having city water and city sewer available to them, there would be no cost to the city.
For area two (Paris Highway), water and sewer is currently available to the end of the current city limits. City sewer stops at Klutts Road. The current city limit extends 300 feet from the right of way on each side of the road. The city limits on the other main highways extend 500 feet from the right of way on each side of the road.
“The recommendation for this area was to extend the current city limits to reach 500 feet from the right of way on each side of the road to be uniform with the other main highways,” Forrester explained.
The extension and proposed annexation in this area would stop at Klutts Road and would be no additional cost to the city due to the fact that all properties currently have water and sewer available to them.
Though the new proposals were also turned down, the proposal to annex area three (Hwy. 22) will be addressed for the second time at next month’s meeting.
Rounding out new business was the passing of the fire department policy.
In employee’s reports, Public Works Director Kerry Cooper reported that the camera for the study is back up and running again.
Water and Sewer Supervisor Jeff Pierpoint reminded the board that the federal government requires all water plants to receive monitoring for chlorine.
“It has to be done by December 9,” he explained. “We have one quote in now, but they’re looking for a big rush and may have back orders.”
Pierpoint further explained that having a monitor backordered would not be an acceptable excuse for not having the monitoring completed. He is looking to receive two more bids before making a decision.
Additionally, the water tanks are due for inspection and must be inspected by the end of the year. At Pierpoint’s recommendation, the board accepted the low bid from J & S Utility Consultants for $3,645 for inspection only.
Police Chief Brent Perry requested and received a budget amendment for $1,168.64 to be added to the drug fund from the recent auction of seized vehicles.
Parks and Recreation Director Corry Essary reported that interest for the soccer program has greatly risen.
“There are upwards of 70 kids signed up to play. We’re going to have it in September and October,” he explained.
Games will be played on the middle school practice field and the city will be responsible for maintaining it.
Fire Chief Dickie Hart reported that the condemnation board recently met and issued a 60-day notice to the Bay Bee Shoe Company building.
In announcements, the Rotary Club has ordered a piece for the clock on the square to get it back into working order.
The next meeting of the City of Dresden Board of Mayor and Aldermen will take place at 6 p.m. on Sept. 8 at the Dresden City Hall.
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