Staying in the budget

Abbey Nutter, The Lebanon Democrat, Tenn.
·2 min read

Nov. 10—An amendment to Lebanon's budget would see a 6% increase in city employee salaries.

"We went through a budget process not four or five months ago," Ward 6 City Councilor Phil Morehead said. "I live within my budget. I thought we would (stay within the budget). Subsequent to that, we came up with these larger-than-normal Christmas bonuses, and I was led to believe that it was to make up for what we didn't get squared away in our (original) budget process."

During Tuesday night's Lebanon City Council meeting, Morehead had originally planned to ask for a deferral on the city council's vote regarding the raises. Instead, he requested a work session be held prior to the second reading of the resolution. The work session will be held on Wednesday at Lebanon City Hall, beginning at 5 p.m.

While Morehead believes that the city employees are worth it, he said that he also had to answer to Lebanon taxpayers.

"I'm told this is revenue neutral, but I don't believe that," Morehead said. "There may not be any new hires now until the budget process, but all of those people that the city is trying to hire right now will just get added into the next budget process."

Discussion will continue at the work session next week, and the budget amendment will come before the council for a second vote.

"I want us to have the best city we can have, the best service we can possibly have, but I also have to be responsible for those people that are paying the bills," Morehead said.

Liquor store discussion

When voting on the approval of the certificate of compliance for Discount Liquor & Wine on West Main Street, limiting the number of liquor stores in Lebanon was briefly discussed.

"Is there anything in the city that says we're ever going to limit the number of liquor stores in town," Morehead asked. "Not that I'm a teetotaller by any stretch, but it seems like they're popping up on every corner."

Stuart Lawson clarified that many of the liquor-store certificates of compliance appearing on the agendas as of late were renewals.

"There was an ordinance on the city council agenda that did not pass to limit liquor stores," Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell said.

The certificate of compliance was approved by the council after discussion.

The city council also approved an ordinance that allows animal control to work with foster animals and adds new provision for animals taken in as the result of an arrest.