Update: Morristown passes across-the-board budget cuts

The city of Morristown has slashed its budget across the board, due to declining sales tax revenue.

The budget cuts, which take effect on December 1, trim 4 percent from each department. All include reduced work hours for city employees.

The budget cuts last until June 30, which is the end of the budget year.

Previous: Morristown weighs budget cuts for police, firefighters, other departments

It's standing room only for a Morristown City Council meeting that could cut budgets for police, firefighters, and other departments there.

Morristown's City Council is scheduled to consider budget cuts at this afternoon's meeting. Those budget cuts would take effect in two weeks, on December 1.

Reduced sales tax revenue prompted Interim City Administrator Lynn Wampler to ask every department head to slash 4 percent from their budget.

For police, that means cutting $274,513.

Police Chief Roger Overholt's plan includes reducing operating expenses, overtime, and service hours. Each employee in the department would work 38.5 hours per week instead of 40 if City Council accepts the plan.

Overholt anticipates no layoffs.

Fire Chief Bill Honeycutt expects to lay off two workers, cut $75,000 from the operations budget, plus cut each employee's hours by 8 hours per month. He said those cuts would save $249,000, the 4 percent he was asked to cut.

If approved, the cuts would start December 1 and last through June 30, the end if the budget year.

10 News has a crew at the 4 p.m. meeting and will report live at 6:00.