Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts says the city is facing its most difficult budget in his 8 years in office — and he’s proposing two controversial moves to address a growing revenue gap.
The first is a 31-cent property tax increase. “Believe me, we would not have asked for property tax increase if we didn’t desperately need it,” Pitts said.
The second proposal targets school funding. For more than 45 years, the city has provided supplemental funding to the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System beyond what state law requires. Under Pitts’ proposal, the city would fund only the minimum amount mandated by the state. “For 45+ years we’ve given the school system a little extra,” Pitts said. “It’s painful, I wish we didn’t have to but that tells you exactly what we are as a city government.”…