Glasgow mayor recognizes volunteer; approvals finalized for property tax rates, city admin role

By MELINDA J. OVERSTREET
for Glasgow News 1
Monday’s meeting of the Glasgow Common Council finished some business that had been carried over from prior meetings and provided an opportunity to celebrate a couple of people.
Second readings of ordinances establishing 2023 property tax rates and creating the new position of city administrative officer both were approved unanimously among those present. Councilman Marlin Witcher was absent.
On the real property, i.e. real estate, tax rate, the city is proposing a rate of 0.169 percent, or 16.9 cents per $100 of assessed value – a little less than the previous year’s of 0.172 percent, or 17.2 cents, per $100 of assessed property valuation, but a little more than the compensating rate of 16.3 cents. The compensating rate is the one that would provide roughly the same dollar amount as the year prior based on total property valuations within the city.
So, if a person owned real estate assessed at $100,000, the tax bill would have been $172 last year and would be $169 this year.
The revenue produced from last year’s tax bills was $1,579,364. Anticipated revenue with the compensating rate would be $1,607,117, and with the proposed rate, it’s estimated to be $1,666,275.
The personal property rate would be unchanged from 2022 at 0.176 percent or 17.6 cents per $100 of assessed value, with an estimated revenue of $282,624.
In addition to creating the position of city administrative officer, the council formally approved Mayor Henry Royse’s choice to take on the role – April Russell, who has actually already been in the role for a few weeks now. She was officially sworn into office during this meeting.
Before any of that took place, though, Royse announced the first person to be acknowledged with a Glasgow Volunteer Spotlight Proclamation, along with a key to the city – Jay Ramey, who has spent countless hours since 2007 volunteering in various capacities – including being dubbed the “Popcorn Popper Extraordinaire” – at the Plaza Theatre, which is owned by the city. He also volunteers in various other ways in the community, according to the proclamation, which was read by Councilwoman Chasity Lowery at the mayor’s request. Lowery is the council’s representative on the Plaza Theatre Advisory Board.
Royse said the city couldn’t operate without volunteers, and this is one way to recognize that.
In addition, the oath of office was administered by Royse to newly promoted Glasgow Police Department Sgt. Garth Bragg, with his wife and three children and several other officers present for the occasion.
In other business, the following were approved with unanimous votes:
— Reappointing Tommy Simpson to the Board of Building and Housing Appeals/Stormwater Advisory Committee as well as Joe Austin and Councilman Joe Trigg to the Fort Williams Restoration Commission;
— A resolution authorizing the exchange of real estate with Southern States Cooperative, as previously reported by Glasgow News 1;
— First reading of an ordinance repealing sections of the city’s Code of Ordinances in Chapter 37 that now are addressed in a city personnel policies and procedures manual, an updated one of which was approved via a municipal order also at this meeting.
Also during the meeting, Matt Mutter, who chairs the Barren County Veterans Association, announced a plan to produce banners to be placed around the Glasgow Public Square honoring specific local veterans. The first 16, which are being sponsored by Glasgow Renaissance, are expected to be installed within a few weeks.