News
New City Budget Approved with Higher Water and Sewer Rates and Salary Increases
June 3, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
Property tax rates for City of Smithville landowners will not be going up this year, but water and sewer rates will be raised by 4% in order to keep utility revenues ahead of expenses, per state requirement.
During the regular monthly meeting Monday night, the Mayor and Aldermen following a public hearing adopted on second and final reading a budget ordinance for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
The city property tax rate is 0.7523 cents per $100 of assessed value and it is expected to generate $1,230,000 in local revenue. Actual city property tax collections for the year ending 2023-24 were $1,217,281.
The new rates for city water customers will be $8.59 per thousand gallons of usage (up from the current rate of $8.26 per thousand). Rates for customers outside the city limits will be $12.88 per thousand (up from the current rate of $12.38 per thousand. City sewer customers will pay $8.00 per thousand (up from the current rate of $7.69 per thousand).
Under state law, if a utility operates at a loss for more than two years and doesn’t address it, the state has the authority to force rate increases to make it solvent. The city is currently not running at a loss in the water and sewer fund. According to the budget the city finished the 2023-24-year June 30 on the plus side by $530,625 but is projected to be only $2,914 to the good by the end of the 2025-26 year on June 30.
The new budget includes a 3% pay raise for hourly city and salaried employees with a few exceptions (noted below). Those with up to four years of service would get a step raise due them on their employment anniversary date along with the 3% increase. The total regular base pay for all city employees combined in 2025-26 will be $3,081,525, up by $169,567 from $2,911,958 in 2024-25.
According to the budget, the salaries of the following city department heads and employees will be as follows (regular pay not including benefits) in 2025-26:
City Administrator: $90,000, up from $85,840 in 2024-25
Public Works Director: $74,000 up from $70,008
Certified Municipal Finance Officer (CMFO): $74,000, up from $66,950
Golf Manager: $42,000 up from $38,192
Lead Operator in Water & Sewer Maintenance (same employee with new title): $26.32 per hour with CDL, up from $23.64 per hour with CDL.
Parks employee: (same employee going from part time to full time): $19.07 per hour, up from $17.52 per hour.
Also included in the proposed new budget is $4,000 to increase the longevity pay of volunteer firefighters as follows: 5 to 10 years of service- $250; 10 to 15 years of service-$500, and over 15 years of service-$750. Total budgeted payment to volunteer firefighters-$70,000.
Not included in the budget is the proposed purchase of a $1.2 million Pierce fire engine as requested by the fire chief nor the three additional full-time (career) firefighter positions he wanted.
Projected general fund expenditures for 2025-26 are to exceed revenues by $250,970. A year ago, the budget showed that actual city spending outpaced revenues by $795,688 for the year ended June 30, 2024.
In the water and sewer fund, the city is projected to finish next year (2025-26) in the plus column by only $2,914. A year ago, actual water and sewer revenues exceeded expenditures by $530,625 as of June 30, 2024.
The 2025-26 budget includes the following in new spending:
CAPITAL OUTLAY:
*Public Works: mower trailer-$5,000; steam cleaner-$5,000; backhoe thumb kit-$5,300 (funded 50% from the general fund or $2,650 and 50% from the water and sewer budget $2,650)
*Fire Protection: 2 tri band filters for radios-$7,000; 10 batteries for radios-$3,800; training site equipment-$15,000; loose fire equipment-$25,000; new hydrants-$50,000
*Street Department: Paving-$100,000
Police Department: 2025 Tahoe-$52,143, 2025 Tahoe equipment-$8,554; 2025 Durango-$45,060, 2025 Durango equipment-$10,925, and tasers-$58,592.
*Financial Administration: G-5 software upgrade- $27,600 (funded 50% from the general fund or $13,800 and 50% from the water and sewer fund $13,800); backhoe thumb kit-$5,300 (funded 50% from the general fund or $2,650 and 50% from the water and sewer budget $2,650)
WATER AND SEWER FUND FIXED ASSET ADDITIONS:
*Fixed Asset additions: wastewater treatment plant air piping project- $130,000; G-5 software upgrade-$27,600 (funded 50% from the general fund or $13,800 and 50% from the water and sewer fund $13,800).
Miss Jamboree Pageants June 14
June 3, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
The 2025 Miss Jamboree Pageants are set for Saturday, June 14 at the DeKalb County Complex starting at 9:00 a.m. and is a fundraiser for the Last-Minute Toy Shop.
15-year-old Karah Jo Ford, daughter of Hector-O-Roscoe and Amanda Ford of Smithville, was crowned the 2024 Miss Jamboree Queen in the age 14-16 category.
All Tennessee girls, babies, toddlers along with single, married, and senior ladies may enter by June 6th.
The entry fee is $25.00 per contestant. A People’s Choice Award will also be given in each category and there are optional awards of prettiest eyes, hair, attire, smile, and photogenic. The entry fee for optionals is $5.00 in each category. All winners in the 13-15, and 16-18 age groups are required to be present during the Fiddlers Jamboree July 4 & 5 to help distribute trophies, flyers, etc.
Age groups are as follows:
Boys and girls- one day to 6 months
Boys and girls- 7-12 months
Boys and girls-13-24 months
Boys and girls-25-48 months
Girls-4-6 years
Girls-7-9 years
Girls-10-12 years
Girls- 13-15 years
Girls-16-18 years
Ladies 19-49 years single
Ladies-19-49 years married
Ladies-50 and older senior
Include on the entry form, name and age of contestant, complete address and phone number, parents or guardians’ names, and note “I love the Jamboree Because”.
Pay via Venmo or mail check/money order to Last Minute Toy Shop 3385 New Home Road, Smithville 37166.
Sunday Fire Destroys Lake Home
June 2, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
A Sunday fire swept through and destroyed a home on Coconut Ridge Road.
DeKalb Fire Chief Donny Green said that the department was summoned to the scene at 3:05 p.m. and upon arrival found the structure well involved with fire venting through the back of the roof. Firefighters were challenged with lack of apparatus access due to the narrow one lane road and water supply in the remote area.
Although the structure was a complete loss, firefighters, Emergency Medical Services, the Sheriff’s Department, and the department’s rehab unit were on the scene for over six hours. No injuries were reported, and no other property was damaged. The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.
The Main, Cookeville Highway, Liberty, and Temperance Hall stations, Tanker 1, Tanker 2, Rehabilitation Unit, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, and DeKalb County Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene.
Special thanks to Domino’s in Smithville donating pizza to feed firefighters on scene.
Meanwhile on Saturday at approximately 10:36 a.m., the DeKalb County Fire Department was dispatched to 450 South Mill Street in Dowell town for a commercial structure fire.
According to Chief Green when firefighters arrived, they found two vehicles fully ablaze inside the building. Crews quickly made an interior attack and extinguished the fire containing it to the area where the fire originated. There was significant smoke damage through the large building.
The staff at the facility reported they had been using a cutting tool to disassemble one of the vehicles when a spark from the tool ignited flammable materials nearby. One facility staff member onsite received minor burns to his hands but refused emergency medical services transport.
The Liberty, Temperance Hall, Main, and Cookeville Highway stations responded along with both tankers, DeKalb County Emergency Medical Services, and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.
