Hopkinsville Mayor Wendell Lynch unveiled his proposed $43 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year Friday morning at the downtown Municipal Center.
The balanced budget is a 4.5-percent increase in spending and revenue from the current fiscal year and Mayor Lynch believes the current trends of increased payroll tax collections will continue.
The proposed spending plan does not include any proposed tax rate increases of any kind.
City employees would see a 5-percent cost of living raise in the coming fiscal year under the proposal—something that was important to the mayor as inflation soars.
The budget accounts for increased costs of fuel and supplies due to inflation and Mayor Lynch is hopeful they estimated enough inflation in those line items.
Mayor Lynch says agencies were told to hold the line with their budget, but none were forced to make cuts.
Inner City REZ would receive its $500,000 allocation in the budget proposal, the same as the current year’s budget.
The $1.9 million proposed capital budget includes $250,000 for cars and equipment at the Hopkinsville Police Department and another $170,000 for body cameras.
The Hopkinsville City Council Committee of the Whole will begin discussions of the budget Thursday night and could meet one or two more times before City Council sees first reading of a spending plan in June.
Watch entire budget address below:
https://www.facebook.com/CityofHopkinsville/videos/5128844573903033