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Tough Economic Times Affect Cities
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POSTED: 3:53 pm CDT May 13,
2008
UPDATED: 7:40 pm CDT May 13,
2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The rising cost of fuel is causing many middle Tennessee counties to adjust their budgets. However, it appears there will not be widespread job cuts in city and county governments.
Video: Budget Crunches Affecting City GovernmentsThe state is in dire straights and expecting thousands of job cuts, but the news isn't nearly as grim for local governments.Channel 4 performed an unscientific survey and sampled middle Tennessee communities to see how they are dealing with these tough economic times.City of Columbia:
No layoffs at this point
No decrease in services
There have been two tax increases
City of Waverly:
No layoffs
Police and sanitation fuel budgets gone two months early
Using rainy day fund, raising health insurance rates
Sumner County
No layoffs
Emergency Medical Services, road and sheriff's office may need more money for fuel
City of Franklin
Freeze on new hires
Leaving 20 police positions vacant
Trousdale County
Police are within their fuel budget after anticipating increase last year
Short of police officers
City of Murfreesboro:
No layoffs Department heads must review budgets and eliminate proposals that aren't mandatory.Robertson County
No layoffs
Minimal tax increase
May have fewer police cars patrolling
Even Middle Tennessee's wealthiest cities are feeling pain from high gas prices. City of Belle Meade
No drastic cuts in city budget
Asking officers not to idle their police cars
Get out and walk
Three other local governments are changing police procedures to save money.In Macon County, Lafayette may put two police officers in one car.In Fairview, the town is removing the blue lights from the tops of their cars for better mileage.In Montgomery County, officers are taking phone reports on non-emergency calls to save gas.City and county governments are not in as bad a shape as state government because so much of their revenue comes from property taxes, so it doesn't fluctuate as much.The amount of people on food stamps has increase in the thousands over the last year.In April of 2007, just over 384,000 households were on food stamps in Tennessee.In April 2008, that number had increased to more than 409,000 households, costing the state $10 million more.
Video: Budget Crunches Affecting City GovernmentsThe state is in dire straights and expecting thousands of job cuts, but the news isn't nearly as grim for local governments.Channel 4 performed an unscientific survey and sampled middle Tennessee communities to see how they are dealing with these tough economic times.City of Columbia: No layoffs at this point
No decrease in services
There have been two tax increases
City of Waverly:
No layoffs
Police and sanitation fuel budgets gone two months early
Using rainy day fund, raising health insurance rates
Sumner County
No layoffs
Emergency Medical Services, road and sheriff's office may need more money for fuel
City of Franklin
Freeze on new hires
Leaving 20 police positions vacant
Trousdale County
Police are within their fuel budget after anticipating increase last year
Short of police officers
City of Murfreesboro:
No layoffs Department heads must review budgets and eliminate proposals that aren't mandatory.Robertson County
No layoffs
Minimal tax increase
May have fewer police cars patrolling
Even Middle Tennessee's wealthiest cities are feeling pain from high gas prices. City of Belle Meade
No drastic cuts in city budget
Asking officers not to idle their police cars
Get out and walk
Three other local governments are changing police procedures to save money.In Macon County, Lafayette may put two police officers in one car.In Fairview, the town is removing the blue lights from the tops of their cars for better mileage.In Montgomery County, officers are taking phone reports on non-emergency calls to save gas.City and county governments are not in as bad a shape as state government because so much of their revenue comes from property taxes, so it doesn't fluctuate as much.The amount of people on food stamps has increase in the thousands over the last year.In April of 2007, just over 384,000 households were on food stamps in Tennessee.In April 2008, that number had increased to more than 409,000 households, costing the state $10 million more.
Previous Stories:
- May 13, 2008: Cities Scrimp, Save To Cover Gas Costs
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