No new taxes, money for outdoor recreation and mental health, and finalizing an agreement to turn an old Tennova hospital into KPD headquarters highlighted Mayor Madeline Rogero's final State of the City address, but bringing baseball back to downtown will have to wait for the next administration.
Rogero, who has served two terms as Knoxville's mayor, cannot seek re-election. She presented her final budget at what will be the future location of the $10 million dollar Urban Wilderness Gateway Park, one of her legacies to the city.
The Knoxville Police Department will be a big priority this year, getting a budget increase to raise starting pay for officers to $40,000 dollars. That will hopefully help increase the ranks of the department. Rogero said the department was significantly below where it needed to be in terms of the number of officers on duty.
She also said the city is finalizing plans with Tennova to complete the sale of the old St. Mary's hospital from Tennova to the city for a new KPD headquarters. $6.5 million dollars has been set aside in the budget for renovation costs and she will ask City Council for its commitment to proceed with the project next month.
One major accomplishment that Rogero plans to leave for the next mayor is bringing the Tennessee Smokies back to downtown Knoxville.
While she says she supports the idea and her team will lay the foundation to make it happen, it won't be something that can be done before she leaves office.
“We have researched successful ballpark models that serve the community year-round and have spurred significant economic investment,” she said. “A ballpark will be a catalyst for more housing, retail and mixed-use development in the area. We are working with KCDC to invest in a revitalized Austin Homes to ensure that future housing development in the area remains mixed-income.”
Randy Boyd, businessman and current interim president at the University of Tennessee owns the Smokies baseball team, which currently plays in Sevier County. He owns property that could accommodate a ball park in the Old City, but has said it will take cooperation from local leaders to make it happen.
In her budge address, Rogero said, “Our goal is to get the runner to second or third base – scoring position – so the next administration will, I hope, safely bring the runner home.”
More than $10 million has been budgeted to increase affordable housing in Knoxville. Rogero said the city and its partners have invested more than $230 million towards giving people an affordable place to live since she took office.
Funding has been increased for the the Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center (BHUCC), which Rogero said has had a successful first year. She also said the city would organize a community summit to address the drug epidemic.
She also set aside $1.2 million for greenway connections, which will include an extension across the James White Parkway Bridge to connect downtown and South Knoxville.
She has also proposed $1 million for the Fort Dickerson quarry development and $500,000 for Ijams Nature Center. There's also money set aside for ball fields, tennis courts and playgrounds, West Hills Park, Fort Kid, and fitness room upgrades and other enhanced park maintenance.
Other highlights from the budget include:
- All city employees will receive a 2.5 percent salary increase.
- $13.31 million in direct City support and grant match funding for KAT, including a pilot project that adds free trolley service to the South Waterfront and the expansion of service on the 20th route in five years
- The proposed budget includes $5.8 million for street paving, $535,000 for improvements to traffic signals, and $200,000 for traffic calming projects.
- The Magnolia Avenue Streetscapes Project will expand eastward toward Cherry Street; $1 million is designated for Phase 3 design work.