MURFREESBORO – After holding a brief public hearing, the Murfreesboro Town Council unanimously voted to adopt the proposed budget for the 2018-19 Fiscal Year here June 27 during their regular meeting.

No residents elected to speak for or against the proposed budget while the public hearing was open. After the hearing portion was closed, Council member Mitch Radford presented the information to the rest of the Council.

Radford reported the ad valorem tax rate will remain the same at $0.66 per $100 of valuation.

“There was also no increase in water rates,” he continued, noting this remained the same despite a rise in costs to the town in other areas such as trash pickup, employee health insurance, and tax collection fees.

According to the proposed budget ordinance, the town will operate on a total of $3,210,064 for Fiscal Year 2018-19, a decrease of approximately half a million dollars from the previous year. This year’s total reflects the General Fund ($1,886,888) and Water & Sewer Fund ($1,323,176).

Departments receiving the largest allocations from the General Fund include Police ($724,678), Sanitation ($293,000), Administration ($217,025), Governing Body ($138,650), Fire ($112,624), and Building & Grounds ($112,467).

The allocations for Police, Sanitation, and Building & Grounds increased compared to last year’s figures, while Administration and Governing Body both received decreased funds. The amount allocated to the Fire Department remained essentially the same.

Allocation cuts were made in the Water & Sewer Fund as well compared to the previous year. Water will receive approximately $54,000 less this year for a total of $538,822. Sewer will receive approximately $51,000 less for a total of $262,817 to operate with this fiscal year. Wastewater Treatment’s funding only fluctuated by a few hundred dollars, totaling $521,537 for the 2018-19 fiscal year.

Revenues for the town’s General Fund are expected to come largely from ad valorem taxes ($765,000), local option sales tax ($346,567), refuse collection fees ($275,000), utilities tax ($175,000), and motor vehicle tax ($85,000).

Water and Sewer user fees, an expected total of approximately $1.3 million, will make up the vast majority of the revenues for the upcoming fiscal year.

Radford motioned to adopt the proposed budget, and Council member Sarah Wallace seconded. The vote was unanimously in favor.

The Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget went into effect on July 1.