By Bill Grubb

ROGERSVILLE - The Rogersville Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a budget document Tuesday that drains more than $1 million from reserves and does not address a $182,000 deficit in the school budget, issues that will be resolved in a series of meetings scheduled later this month.
    The first draft of the proposed city budget estimates revenues of $4,477,966  and expenditures of $5,630,007, with $1,152,041 in reserve funds required to balance the budget.
    "Right now this budget uses reserves and we have been doing that for several years and soon or later that is going to catch up to us," City Recorder Bill Lyons warned.
    According to Lyons, the town has been relying on reserves to offset increased expenditures and balance the budget without a property tax increase for several years.    
    The recorder also said the board needs to provide vital input before the spending plan can be finalized.
    "This is where we really miss Bennie Floyd," Lyons said, referring to the long-time alderman who died earlier this year.  "He would come down here and look at the numbers with us and with his accounting background that was a big help."
    The recorder said the budget does not include any raises or adjustments to the tax rate.
    "Those are decisions the staff did not believe it is appropriate for us to  be making," he added.   "Recognizing we are in the middle of a recession the marching order was to make it as close to last year's budget as possible."             "Speaking with department heads, there are places to cut, and they're willing to do their fair share," he continued.
    The recorder also said he has been working with Rogersville City School Director Sherry Terry on the school budget, a difficult task this year because the state has yet to finalize a budget.
    He said working on the budget without firm numbers is "like trying to shoot a moving target."
    Sherry Terry described her proposed 2009-10, reviewed earlier in the day by the city school board, as a "no fluff" and "bare bones" budget.
    Terry said the deficit can be attributed to cost increases that are "beyond control."
    "Our health insurance costs alone are going up $38,000," she noted, adding that utilities have increased and the budget must include step pay raises, with increases totaling $225,000.  
    "We are asking that the city make up the difference.  This is after we have made cuts totaling $133,600," she said.
        The board also approved a balanced budget submitted by the Rogersville Water Commission, which projects revenues of $2,785,946  and expenditures of $2,659,398.
    The BMA will have a budget workshop session at town hall June 15, beginning at 9 a.m.  The second reading of the budget ordinance will be at a called meting  June 22 at 5:30 p.m., with a final reading is scheduled for June 30 called meeting, also at 5:30 p.m.
    In other business, the board approved contracting with accountant David Ellis, from Greeneville, to perform the town's audit.
    The BMA tabled action on a creating a centralized bookkeeping operation for the city and water department.
    "I've got some questions on this I'd like to talk to some people about," Alderman John Johnson said.