Paris, Tenn.–At a special called meeting Tuesday, the Paris City Commission approved the 2020 property tax rate at $0.72 and approved the Fiscal Year 2021 budget which will include a .5 percent cost of living raise for all employees.
After discussion and proposals from commissioners, the panel approved a $0.72 property tax rate. At the regular meeting earlier this month, commissioners had approved the same 2019 rate of $0.77 on first reading. Since then, the city received the final rate from the State based on the recent reappraisal, which was $0.7119.
Items approved in the 2021 Fiscal Year budget:
- A .5% COLA for all employees.
- An 8.4% increase in the cost of healthcare premiums.
- A 5% decrease in all sales and gas taxes due to anticipated results of the current pandemic.
- $754,735 in capital purchases city-wide; the most significant purchases being a new tri-axel dump truck in the amount of $155,000 and 7 new police vehicles in the amount of $287,000. This will complete our transition to a take home fleet.
- Six different grant projects including the splash pad, sidewalks in the HCHS & Rhea area, new signalization in downtown (2 grants), replacement of the Rison Street Bridge, and tourism enhancement including upgrades and paving around the Eiffel Tower.
- An additional dispatcher in the Emergency Communications Dept. This additional employee will allow for a better balance of supervision and better service in what is now a centralized dispatch center for the entire community.
In other business:
–The commission approved an update to the Building and Fire Codes. City Manager Kim Foster explained, “The State Fire Marshall requires that both Building Inspection and Fire Departments operate under a recognized and acceptable set of codes that govern the construction and maintenance of buildings to insure life safety. We have chosen to adopt the International Building Codes and the NFPA 1 Uniform Fire Code with Life Safety Code 101. The version each department is currently operating under is the 2012 version of each of these codes. We should not be operating under a code older than 7 years. The following ordinance brings us up to date and into compliance by adopting the 2018 versions of each code and was passed on first reading at the June 4th regular meeting.”