The City of Good Hope will look to pass a $2.1 million budget when it holds its regular meeting next Monday, which is up from the $1.98 million budget that was passed last year.

In a work session held Monday night to discuss the coming year’s budget, state Rep. Corey Harbison, who previously served as Good Hope mayor, said the budget has grown even more over the past 10 years, thanks to the growth of the city and all of Cullman County.

“When we started in 2008, it was about $800,000,” he said. 

With the passing of a lodging tax, increasing sales tax revenues and Good Hope allowing the sale of alcohol, the city continues to see a bigger budget, Harbison said. 

Sales tax revenues are projected to be around $930,000, alcohol sales are projected to bring in around $75,000 in revenue and the lodging tax is set to bring in a little more than $16,000 in the coming year. 

Mayor Jerry Bartlett said events like Rock the South also bring people in from all over to spend money in the Cullman and surrounding areas, and all of that sales tax revenue helps every municipality. 

“Everything they have in the City of Cullman brings it to the whole county,” he said. “We all benefit.”

One topic of discussion at the work session was a new look at the city’s donations to local schools, as the city’s usual donation of $26,000 that is distributed to Good Hope’s four schools will now be coming from the city’s alcohol fund instead of the general fund.

“A lot of people ask where the alcohol money is going, and I think they want to see it go to schools and fire departments and things like that,” he said.

The money that is donated is meant for educational purposes, but the city has also contributed to the schools’ extracurricular programs over the past few years, such as a new weight room for the high school and a $5,000 donation to the band earlier this year, and Harbison brought up the idea to set a process for teachers or extracurricular sponsors to propose ideas to the council.

He said the council could set a deadline every year for those proposals and council members could consider projects that could have an immediate impact on students and benefit the community.

More discussion and consideration of the budget will be on the council’s agenda during its meeting Monday at 6:30 p.m. in Good Hope City Hall.

 

Tyler Hanes can be reached at 256-734-2131 ext. 138.