Knoxville Mayor delivers ‘State of the City’ address
Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon unveiled her proposed budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon revealed her proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year to a crowd in the Western Heights/Beaumont neighborhood Wednesday.
The $432.9 million proposed budget did not include a property tax increase, but said the budget was balanced.
“The high point that I’m most proud of is that we’re in great fiscal situation. We’re not raising taxes. We are paying our police officers, firefighters and city workers, fair competitive wages, and we’re making great new investments in great spaces in our city,” said Kincannon.
A main focus for Kincannon’s proposed budget is the need for housing in the city. Of the budget, $7.5 million will go toward affordable housing, with $4.5 million allocated to “Transforming Western,” an initiative to overhaul Knoxville’s largest public housing community.
“Knoxville’s growing. People want to move here. I think our biggest challenge as a community is just housing, and this budget supports more affordable housing and also helps people who want to build private sector,” Kincannon said.
The budget sets aside millions of dollars for parks and public spaces, including $2 million for Lakeshore Park, $1 million for Lonsdale Park, and $4.5 million for the multi-use public stadium connecting East Knoxville to downtown.
Nearly $12 million was allotted to construct and maintain roads and sidewalks throughout the city.
Kincannon will present her proposed budget to the Knoxville City Council for the first reading on May 2, followed by a legislative budget hearing and public hearing on May 9.
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