By Crystal McGough
For The Tribune
CLAY — The Clay City Council unanimously passed a motion Tuesday night to adopt the city’s new budget for the 2017-2018 fiscal year.
According to City Manager Ronnie Dixon, the 2016-2017 fiscal year ended that evening with the council’s approval of the Consent Agenda.
“We will have a roughly $3.6 million budget this year,” he said. “It’s balanced and we have a little room in it.”
Also during Tuesday’s council meeting, Councilor Bo Johnson announced that the city would be hosting its first fall festival on Oct. 13 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. near the Clay Public Library.It will likely be held on the Rec. Football field, he said.
“We’re in the preparation process for our first ever City of Clay Fall Festival,” he said. “I’m grateful for everybody that’s volunteered their time to help. make this thing come together.”
The festival will include hayrides, inflatables and a dunking booth, as well as food and drinks, including popcorn and shaved ice. Local churches and businesses will provide games where children can play for candy, in lieu of trunk-or-treating.
“Each church and/or business will have their own station where they provide a game,” Johnson said. At least 10 churches, as well as several businesses, are already on board, he said.
“Everything is free to the community,” Johnson said. “I think we’re probably going to have a little bigger crowd than what we initially expected.”
In other city news, Dixon announced during the pre-council meeting that the architect over the library project will be present at the next pre-council meeting, Tuesday, October 10 at 6 p.m. The architect will be showing the plans for the new library, which is expected to be built in the former City Hall location near the elementary school.
“This will be the set of plans that will be in the bid documents,” Dixon said.
The architect will present the plans to the Library Board that same day at 5 p.m.
During Mayor and Council comments, Mayor Charles Webster said that he received a letter from the Jefferson County Board of Education recognizing that the council had given $21,500 in teacher grants to the city’s schools from May 25, 2016 to May 25, 2017.