Caryville leaders to use general fund dollars to balance budget

Special called meeting of the Caryville Mayor and Board of Aldermen

CARYVILLE, TN (WLAF)- As the end of the fiscal year nears, the Town of Caryville is working to balance the town’s budget. Thursday night the Caryville Board of Mayor and Aldermen met in a special called meeting to discuss the budget.

Town Administrator Craig Bennett reported to the board that he has been working since March with the department heads on the budget. As he began the meeting, he reviewed the 2025-26 budget and amendments that have been made to it. Bennett said on Monday night there will be an amendment for $37,062 for balancing adjustments.

Next was a discussion of budget priorities for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Items to be added to the budget are the paving of Bruce Gap Road at an estimated cost of $255,000, a police vehicle for $51,300, a three percent pay increase for the town’s employees totaling $20,691, IT support which is a yearly reoccurring expense for $17,000, a three month account service for $13,000 and new administrative computers for $2,500. The total cost for these items is $359,491.

After reviewing the budget for 2026-27, Bennett discussed the projected revenue of $2.1 million for the town with $2.4 million in expenditures. This leaves the town with a $342,000 deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. Once all of the totals were discussed, the board discussed how to cover the shortfall. After a brief discussion, the board decided to use monies from the general fund to balance the budget. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-05/08/2026-6AM)