Knox Council Holds Public Budget Hearing

The Knox City Council last night held a public hearing during their regularly scheduled meeting to discuss the 2014 budget. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained to the board that the city expects to see an increase in the overall budget of just under 3 percent; however, he said the city will likely have to make some cuts in order to capture the maximum amount of taxes the city has coming to it, but overall, the budget is in pretty good shape.

Houston said the state will ultimately tell the city whether or not they have to make cuts, which he said will usually affect the General Fund, Park and Recreation Fund, or the Motor Vehicle Highway Fund. Fortunately, Houston explained that the General Fund should be a bit larger than the previous year, thanks to efforts to make city utilities more self-sustaining, which he said will cut down on the amount of money spent on utilities from the General Fund.

Houston said the budget came out to roughly $2,851,496, which may actually translate to more money in the city’s coffers due to the General Fund savings.

No public comment was offered during the public hearing, and after explaining the specifics of the budget, the public hearing was closed.