No new taxes in $499 million city budget proposal
By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com
Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon announced her $499 million budget proposal for the next fiscal year Friday, with an emphasis on no new property taxes. The Arbor Day event took place at the new Urban Wilderness Gateway Park, and Kincannon compared Knoxville to a tree, noting that the city sponsored the planting of 2,000 new trees in the past 16 months.
The budget, which now goes to city council for approval, has $9.5 million marked for roads, bridges, guard rails and pothole repairs. She saluted all of Knoxville’s past mayors and spoke of public safety, noting that so far this year, there have been no murders inside the city.
Kincannon said the city police force is now fully staffed with five additional officers being added. She said that $1 million will go toward the renovation of the Fountain City Fire Station, and $1.6 million for Vision Zero programs for sidewalk repairs, ADA curb cuts, traffic calming and speed cameras.
Being proposed is $10 million for paving and street maintenance, sidewalks, and traffic signals. Noting that the city has sponsored 3,000 new affordable housing units, she said that more than $8 million in city funds are going to housing initiatives, including the Transforming Western Heights project and new Habitat for Humanity homes in the Alice Bell Community.
The city’s homeless program will get more than $2 million to help with the warming and cooling centers and various programs. Also in the budget are funds for upgrading current part-time park employees to full-time, and $2 million to transform Chilhowee Park into a true public park.
She also mentioned incentives for the city’s 1,600 employees and $3 million in city funds for 72 nonprofit organizations. Kincannon also said the budget would add four more solar arrays, add 20 new EV charging stations and designate $2 million for roof and HVAC upgrades on city buildings.
In keeping with the Arbor Day theme, all those attending the event were offered a pine seedling to take home and plant.
