Norris gives new budget the green light
No tax hike; fire rating improves
The Norris City Council on Monday night approved a $1.53 million spending plan for fiscal year 2021-22, while holding the property tax rate at last year’s level — $1.54 per each $100 of assessed value.
Also holding the line with no increases for the new year are water and sewer rates, the council decided.
The council also learned that the city’s fire-protection rating has been improved, which could save residents and businesses money on fire insurance premiums.
Even without raising taxes, the new budget provides for pay increases for all city employees, along with a new holiday and bonus pay plan and two new city positions – an additional police officer and public works employee.
Revenues for the general fund budget are projected to be $1.58 million, and the city expects a budget surplus of about $40,000 for the year.
The additional police officer will raise the department’s total to seven full-time personnel, City Manager Scott Hackler said, including the chief, two lieutenants, and four patrol officers.
“We are operating with no debt,” Hackler said of the main city budget, noting that the city has been adding to its funds surplus each year for the past several years.
The only debt the city has is in the Water and Sewer Commission, which has a separate budget.
“We have no non-utility debt,” Mayor Chris Mitchell said earlier.
“We do have a little bit of utility debt. But the city is extremely healthy, and we are continuing to improve our financials.”
Goals for the coming year include several projects, Mitchell said.
“We’re going to repair several roofs on city buildings. We will buy a mini-excavator for use by mainly the water and sewer departments. We’re going to purchase some safety equipment for the police, including tasers.
“We also intend to make repairs and improvements on the playgrounds,” he said. “And we will complete our Safe Routes to Schools sidewalk project in the downtown area, and help complete the Sawmill Road extension to Norris Freeway.”
In other council business:
Fire Chief Rick Roach told the council members that the city’s ISO fire-protection rating has improved to 4-4X from the previous 5-5X, which could give home and business owners some breaks on their insurance policies.
Norris is now one of only 113 cities with the 4-4X fire-protection rating. In its previous 5-5X classification, Norris was in the same class as 257 other cities. Just 63 cities have the better 3-3X rating, while Clinton and 32 others have a prestigious 2-2X rating. Only seven cities in the state have the top 1-1X rating.
Roach said the used fire truck donated to the city recently by the city of Clinton, along with other measures the Fire Department is working on, could additionally lower the rating to 3-3X within the next year or so, which would mean even further savings on insurance premiums.
The 4-4X rating means that all structures inside the city are within five road miles of a fire station and 1,000 feet or less from a fire hydrant.
