Hopkinsville City Council approved the appointment of four Council members to the Future Funding Review Committee tasked with reviewing and re-evaluating the recommendations to address the rising pension costs.
The appointment of the committee at Tuesday night’s meeting comes after City Council voted last month at a special called meeting to defer any action on the second reading of a business license tax increase. If approved, the business tax license would increase from 1.5% with a $10,000 cap to 1.95% with no cap on net income, effective the next fiscal year. Mayor Wendell Lynch stated at that meeting he wanted to appoint another committee to further study the recommendations made by the Pension/Future Funding Committee.
The committee includes council members Don Ahart, Phillip Brooks, Amy Craig, and Paul Henson. They will re-evaluate, specifically, the Payroll Tax Projection, Health Trust Fund, and Business License Tax Rate.
That was City Clerk Crissy Fletcher who continued reading the executive order which included the review of the Annual Cap and Budget Cut.
Mayor Lynch appointed Brooks as chair of the Future Funding Review Committee that will also be staffed by City Administrative Officer Troy Body and Chief Financial Officer Robert Martin. The order states the report from the committee should be made to the Committee of the Whole no later than June.
In other action, Council members unanimously approved a motion for a rezoning request filed by Elk Brand Manufacturing. Holly Boggess, Assistant Director and Downtown Renaissance Director at Community and Development Services, explained the request is to rezone a 1.72-acre portion of property located on South Elm Street at the intersection of West 4th Street from a Multi-Family Residential District to a General Business District. After approval, Mayor Lynch noted first reading of the ordinance would be at the next meeting.
Council also unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance rezoning approximately 1.50 acres of property owned by Henry Morris Jr. on Russellville Road from a Multi-Family Residential District to an Arterial Commercial District.
And recently promoted Hopkinsville Police Department Captains Adam Smith and Kyle Spurlin, along with Sergeant Shannon Wells, were recognized and sworn-in to their respective positions by Mayor Lynch.
