The Tom Bean City Council recognized two community volunteers and a city employee while also approving the city’s tax rate and several other financial items during its Sept. 14 meeting.
Courtney Snow and Christy Lankford were each presented with Community Achievement Awards by Mayor Ricky Thomas. The presentations, along with recognition of Public Works Water Operator Cody Weeks as Employee of the Month, were among the first items on the council’s agenda.
Snow was recognized for her volunteer work with the Athletic Booster Club, Band Booster Club and Tom Bean Youth Sports.
Lankford was honored for her continued dedication to the Tom Bean Volunteer Fire Department and her response to a recent emergency involving an unresponsive infant. Lankford was the first to arrive at the scene and was able to revive the infant and provide aid until emergency medical services arrived.
Weeks was recognized as the city’s September Employee of the Month.
In other business, the council approved a property tax rate of $0.569885 per $100 valuation for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The rate is the same as the city’s calculated no-new-revenue rate and below the voter-approval rate of $0.594719.
The rate is down from $0.588570 per $100 valuation last year, a decrease of about 3.17%. However, the average taxable value of a residence homestead increased from $242,155 to $263,104. As a result, the city estimated the tax on the average homestead will increase from $1,425.25 to $1,499.39, an increase of $74.14, or 5.2%.
The council also approved an agreement for fire protection services between the city and the Tom Bean Volunteer Fire Department and renewed the city’s employee health insurance coverage through the TML Health Benefits Pool for 2027.
Council members also approved the city’s fiscal year 2022, 2023 and 2024 financial statement compilations. Council members Brittany Melton and Emily Beasley thanked City Secretary Sarah Dusenberry for her work to bring the city current on its financial statements.
During closing comments, Councilmember Heather Groff expressed excitement about the city’s first Trunk-or-Treat event, scheduled for 5 p.m. Oct. 31.
