By Bill Short
The Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen has unanimously passed an ordinance on final reading that adopts the city budget for the 2022 fiscal year.
Board members took the action during their June 14 regular monthly meeting on a motion offered by Alderman Al Bell and seconded by Alderman Don Lowry.
The ordinance was unanimously passed on first reading at the board’s May 10 meeting.
It states that the budget was prepared with the assumption that all the programs and services currently provided by the city will continue with adequate revenues.
The budget includes funding for both the city and the municipal school system.
City Finance Director John Trusty said it identifies the amount of the projected fund balance in the various funds that will be used to support the budget and the projected revenues for those funds.
It also identifies the “transfers” between funds that are part of the budget.
As examples, Trusty said there are transfers from the city’s General Fund to the State Street Aid Fund, the General Purpose School Fund and the Capital Improvements Fund.
“Then, it approves the expenditure levels for each of the funds,” he noted. “Beyond that, all of the additional conditions in the ordained portion are consistent with what we’ve done in every previous year.”
In response to questions by Aldermen Mike Caruthers and Jon Crisp, Trusty said the budget is still based on income levels from last year, and there is no tax increase “built into” it.
He noted that it is based upon the amount of revenue that the city expected to collect in the current-year budget, with the exception of $100,000 in personal property tax.
“Because of COVID, we estimated that much lower than it had been in past years,” he said. “And it’s been consistent with past years. So, I increased that by $100,000 to be consistent with what it was the year before.”
Trusty said that is the “only difference” in the revenues related to taxes.
The budget includes $500,000 for operation of the municipal school system, which meets the requirement for Maintenance of Effort, plus $230,219 to reimburse it for the debt payment to the Shelby County School System.
Also included is an $18,000 grant for the Millington Area Chamber of Commerce and a $20,000 grant for the Millington YMCA. But both entities must comply with the requirements of Tennessee Code Annotated Section 6-54-111 before they can receive those funds.
The ordinance authorizes the City Manager and Finance Director to track the amount of funds collected by the Millington Library for lost or damaged books.
To allow the books to be replaced in a timely manner, the two officials can increase the General Fund budget revenue and the appropriate expenditure account in a like amount for these funds.
