By Shannon McFarlin WENK/WTPR News Director
Paris, Tenn.—Paris City Finance Director Traci Pillow announced good news at Thursday evening’s city commission meeting: the state audit is complete with no findings issued. The audit also shows a $2 ½ M fund balance increase, she said. Auditors will be at next month’s meeting to present a full report.
Pillow also said the city is continuing its positive trend in retail sales. “The month of October showed an increase of 7.41% compared to October of last year and we have an increase of 6.07% for the fiscal year to date,” she told commission members Thursday evening.
General Fund and Solid Waste revenues were ahead of expenditures in November and for the fiscal year to date. The city did spend $135,000 on a new dump truck for the Street Department and purchased five new police vehicles. However that expense was off-set from receipt of funds from the capital outlay note, she said.
Our first two months of property tax collections are up 28% compared to the first two months in 2015 & 2016. “This is partly due to the property tax increase this year,” she said. “We should receive approximately $180,000 more in tax revenue overall compared to the last two years.”
Four new business licenses were issued in November: One due to new ownership (Edward Jones Co.). The other three are listed as follows: Brisha Salon & Boutique, Roaming Beat Box, Venture Construction (Contractor for McDonald’s Remodel)
