Two ‘no’ votes to FY Budget 1st read; greenway issue
Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen passed its 2025-2026 budget on first reading at its Thursday, June 12, meeting — but not without disagreement and confrontation.
After a lengthy discussion, ending in an argument over the Turkey Creek road improvement/greenway project, the Board voted 3-2 to pass the budget as presented.
Mayor Ron Williams, Vice Mayor Scott Meyer and Alderman Drew Burnett voted for the approval while Aldermen Alex Cain and David White voted against.
In the budget Town administrator David Smoak presented, $500,000 was allotted for the “Turkey Creek Road Multi-Modal Improvements” for 2026.
However, Cain made a motion to delete the funding for that project, which was seconded by White.
“Several months ago, residents of Brixworth subdivision, who were going to have some property negatively impacted by the Turkey Creek greenway (project) by removal of trees along Turkey Creek Road, asked me to come down and take a look at their property,” Cain said. “I walked in the backyard of some of these homes, behind the tree line, and what I saw, first of all, was a rocky 8.3-degree slope that’s currently hidden by the road by the trees.
“I’ve wondered how the design had gotten so poor that we were at that point,” Cain added, noting the resident provided the aldermen with some engineering drawings “that resembled ski jumps from the Olympics.
