By Bill Grubb

ROGERSVILLE - The Rogersville Board of Mayor and Aldermen gave final approval Tuesday evening to a spending plan that doesn't cut any employees or reduce their pay, but does raise the city property tax rate by 25 cents.
    The BMA had been considering a 20-cent increase in the tax rate and the elimination of three police officers from the 14 officer department.
    During earlier budget discussions a proposal to reduce park employees to a 32-hour week had been discuss, although at Tuesday's meeting city officials said that proposal was "off the table."
    With several employees of the police department sitting on the front row, board members, fellow city employees and the general public discussed ways to avoid the layoff.
    Eliminating the three positions would have trimmed expenditures by $150,000.  During the meeting it was discussed one officer had transferred to a dispatcher position, leaving the board with the decision on whether or not  to eliminate two slots.
    Although it was a city employee who suggested all the other employees might be able to take a reduction in pay if it would keep the officers on the job, Alderman Wayne Slater said he did not support that approach.
    "I have problems when you talk about cutting someone's pay,"  Slater said.  "If you make a cut you wouldn't be cutting all employees.  The Water Department is a separate budget.  The school is a separate budget.  You are only cutting a few people."
    Mark DeWitte, a candidate in the June 6 city election, told board members if they could not "honestly" find any additional cuts then the only choice would be to raise the tax rate by a higher amount.
    "If you are going to raise it 20-cents, you might as well go ahead and raise it 30-cents if it will keep the police," DeWitte said.  "That may cost me an extra $50, but if I know that means there will be a police officer around if I need one I will be willing to pay it."
    Alderman Brian Hartness suggested one option would be to rely solely on the reserve fund and hope the economy recovers.
    During the discussion City Recorder Bill Lyons noted sales tax collections have fallen approximately $360,000 less than anticipated.
    "I don't think the state has much faith in a recovery anytime soon," ALderman Ann Howe said.
    Lyons also expressed his opinion the budget deliberations next year may be equally difficult.
    "You're going to raise them again next year, no matter what you do this year," Lyons predicted.
    After a lengthy discussion, which included a suggestion by city resident Jim Zachary that the city scrap or reduce $70,000 in contributions to agencies and organizations including the Boys & Girls Club, Chamber of Commerce, Price Public Community Center, Rogersville Arts Council and United Way, the BMA opted to balance the budget by maintaining the police officer positions, making no additional budget cuts and by raising the $1.27 property tax rate by 25-cents.
    The tax increase will boost a resident's city tax bill by approximately $63 for each $100,000 of assessed property value.