The Knox City Council is trying to come up with a solution to a problem that is not uncommon to them, but inconvenient all the same. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston told the council that he received a notice from the State Board of Accounts detailing their budget order and explaining what amounts each budget would receive.
Houston explained that on the whole, the budgets are looking good, but there are two budgets that will need to be reworked due to cuts from the state. The Motor Vehicle Highway Fund, with a balance of $413,131, was cut by $24,536 – not a hefty cut, but still a hindrance. The Park Department’s budget was also cut by $11,135 for a total budget amount of $146,358 – another small cut, but park officials are calling it another obstacle to their five-year plan.
Houston said there have been worse cuts in the past that they have had to work through and he feels that the city can work through this with limited problems. He told the council they have a choice; they can accept the budget order and work with the budgets in conflict to find out where the cuts can be taken from, or they can reject the budget order and move money around from other funds. However, Houston recommended that the council accept the budget.
The council passed a motion to accept the budget and meet with the Park and Highway departments to find out which line items in the budget can be modified to level it out.
