UCDD working with state officials in an attempt to increase the amount of funding provided to development districts across Tennessee.
Executive Director Mark Farley said the organization’s state-mandated funding formula has not been increased since 2007. Farley said an updated formula could bring in some $100,000 extra for the development district.
“Any time we’re tackling an issue like childcare or housing or anything along that line, we’ve got to be able to put staff time towards that and be able to charge that to something,” Farley said. “So when we get additional funding like that, we’re able to tackle a few problems that we wouldn’t normally get to do.”
Farley said UCDD is considering increasing its dues to show state officials that local governments are invested in the program as well. Farley said the increase would be minor, costing some $23,000 across all municipalities involved with UCDD.
“The dues increase, if approved, would start July 1,” Farley said. “It would be for the next budget cycle.”
Farley said the structure of the funding formula has not been adjusted in many years, likely since the legislation was originally written in the 1960s. Farley said all of the development districts across the state are sponsoring a bill requesting the general assembly review the funding formula.
“With all the inflation and everything we’re going through, we needed some extra funds to be able to be competitive on hiring staff and retaining them,” Farley said. “And we’re just asking the general assembly to look at that and modernize it and increase our funding a little bit.”
