Kingston Springs approves 2025-26 budget with property tax increase

The Kingston Springs Board of Commissioners passed its 2025-2026 fiscal year budget after its second reading during a meeting on Monday, June 16. The new budget will go into effect on July 1.

Though no new spending areas have been added this year, the budget will reflect some changes, including a 3% cost-of-living pay increase for town employees and a five cent property tax increase per $100 of assessed value, from 52 cents to 57 cents.

According to the budget, the town has more than two dozen capital projects and improvements planned for the 2025-26 year, including:

• Playground replacement;
• Interstate lighting upgrades;
• Replacing a patrol vehicle;
• Purchasing body cameras, tasers and fleet cameras;
• Purchasing a salt bin
• Installing a lightening detection system for the splash pad;
• Parks truck replacement; and more.

Of the town's more than $6.9 million budget for this fiscal year, the top expenditure is labeled "general government" with nearly $2.7 million budgeted. The fire and the police department combined have a budget of more than $2.3 million. The town also budgeted just over $1 million for highways and streets.

Separately, the Kingston Springs Board of Commissioners recognized the Harpeth High School (HHS) boys soccer team and its Coach Lou Jenkins for their accomplishments over the last four years during their regular business meeting on June 19.

"We really want to be active and recognizing things that the schools in this community do – something that hasn't been done in the past," Mayor Todd Verhoven said. "We have some really great schools in this area. We have some great athletes."

The HHS boys soccer team was named the division champions for the last four years, regional champions for the last four years, sectional champions three of the last four years, and state qualifiers three of the last four years.

Verhoven presented Jenkins and several members of the team with a plaque, noting, "The board would like to recognize the players, coaches, the team for dedication, athleticism, teamwork and sportsmanship. It's allowed you guys to maintain and continue a level of success. We're excited to see what the next few years brings."

The board also heard from rising HHS senior Jake Slanaker who is a member of Boy Scout Troop 594 during the town meeting on June 19. For Slanaker's Eagle Scout project, he plans to build a flag retirement box similar in size and style to a little library. The box would allow people to drop off old or damaged flags, and the troop would then dispose of them properly.

Slanaker plans to build three flag retirement boxes – one for Kingston Springs City Hall, one for Lawrence Foods and one for Pegram Church of Christ.

"I think it's a wonderful idea, staff thinks it's a great idea," City Manager John Lawless said. "I think it will give us an opportunity to also educate the people that don't really realize that there is a proper way to dispose of a flag rather than just tossing it in the trash."