Soaring Gas Prices Affecting Everyone
The rise in gas prices is affecting everyone, from the pumps to the everyday prices of essentials.
File Photo / The Lexington Progress
Article by Steve Corlew-
With the unpredictability of gas prices city, and county governments are working to approve budgets, without raising taxes. Since 2020, the average price of gas has risen from $1.88 per gallon in December 2020 to $4.63 per gallon in Tennessee according to GasBuddy.com.
“We have asked our employees to cut back on their driving,” Lexington Mayor Jeff Griggs said adding “with emergency services it is hard to cut back. We try to save where we can.”
Lexington Electric System is also working to control cost. But as manager Jeff Graves commented, they face the same problems as everyone else.
“We don’t have a choice but to pay it,” Graves stated. If the cost goes over the budget, then the system will have to dip into the reserve fund. The Tennessee Valley Authority requires systems to maintain certain budget reserves.
County Finance Director Lee Wilkinson has also tried to take rising fuel prices into consideration while preparing the county’s budgets. “Fortunately, the last few years we have kept enough in the budget (for fuel),” We have some adjustments in our budget.”
However, with the price of gas rising, Wilkinson said he expects to see those line items…
For the complete article, see the June 15th edition of The Lexington Progress.
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