By GAGE WILSON
For Glasgow News 1
The Cave City City Council special-called meeting Wednesday addressed vacant and deteriorating properties throughout town, with a discussion on raising taxes on such properties.
“This is a special taxing district,” explained City Attorney Bobby Richardson. “If there are dilapidated properties or properties that are tax delinquent for three years, and the city’s code enforcement identifies them, then the city will raise taxes on that property above the normal real estate rate.” In such cases, the tax would jump to 75 cents per $100 of assessed value — a steep increase from the current 14 cents.
Richardson noted that Horse Cave has already implemented a similar ordinance. Mayor Dwayne Hatcher said he spoke with Horse Cave Mayor Randall Curry ahead of the meeting, who described the ordinance as a success. “He said that with a couple properties they had to go to court,” Hatcher recounted. “But still, it was worthwhile.”
Councilwoman Leticia Cline expressed support, saying any action by property owners, whether cleaning up or selling, would ultimately generate more revenue for the city. The ordinance passed unanimously.
The council also revisited the topic of compensation for elected officials. Originally proposed at last month’s regular meeting by Councilman Ronald Coffey, the measure would increase council pay from $50 per month to $150 per meeting. Coffey said the current figure hasn’t changed since he served in the 1990s. The item was tabled at that time to explore other options, as any raise would not take effect until the next council term. Richardson contacted the Department of Local Government to see whether a cost-of-living increase could be applied immediately.
“This year, the cost of living increase is about three percent,” Richardson said. “I figured it up and it would be about $1.25 for the council and about $600 a year for the mayor, which I didn’t believe was worth the effort for this year.”
He added that the council must pass an ordinance setting salaries before May 2026. After brief discussion, the council agreed to move forward with Coffey’s original proposal.
The council also considered the mayor’s salary, which is currently $24,000 per year. Members agreed a raise was needed, voting to increase the salary to $40,000 annually. “It’s important to note that these salaries are for the positions,” Hatcher said. “They will not go into effect until after the next elections.” The raises were approved unanimously.
Councilwoman Beverly Ford also raised the idea of leasing a vehicle for the mayor. The city already leases vehicles for the police department through Enterprise, and the council discussed using the same provider to lease a midsized SUV. “Just looking at what we’ve done in the past, you’re looking at around $40,000 to $45,000,” Hatcher said. “So, monthly it would run about $1,000.” The council agreed to research the figures further and revisit the topic at next week’s regular meeting, which is Monday, Aug. 11.
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