6/2/2020- City of Elizabethtown budget first reading

Monday marked the first reading of the City of Elizabethtown’s next budget. The City Council met at the Historic State Theater complex Monday evening, where Mayor Jeff Gregory gave his budget recommendation for the fiscal year 2021. Mayor Gregory acknowledged that the recent COVID-19 pandemic impacted budgetary decisions, resulting in a budget that is intended to be more conservative in spending. The budget, which comes in a $60.5 million, is down almost $10 million from this year’s operating budget of $70.1 million. The budget also underscores the impact the tourism industry has faced in the wake of COVID-19, with a lack of revenue coming from places such as the Sports Park, which directly brings in money through restaurant and room taxes. The budget will be read a second and final time in the coming weeks.