Join Kingsport is celebrating the 8^th Annual Kids to Parks Day! With activities happening at Bays Mountain Park and with Kingsport Parks and Recreation, your kids will want to spend all day in a park!

On Saturday, May 19^th, Bays Mountain Park will host a day of outdoor fun! Kids to Parks Day at Bays Mountain will take place from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The event highlights the nature programs offered at the Park, with extra programs including a touch table from 11:00 – 3:00 p.m. in front of the Nature Center and a scavenger hunt from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. in front of the Farmstead Museum. Nature program fees apply, but the touch table and scavenger hunt are free.

Kingsport Parks and Recreation is offering up a free rental at one of the Parks and Recreation centers to the winner of a Kids to Parks Day photo contest! All participants have to do is visit one of the four parks on May 19^th, Borden Park, Kingsport Greenbelt, Centennial Park or Preston Forest Park, and snap a photo! Then post your photo on Facebook with the hashtag #KidsToParksDay and follow the Kingsport Parks and Recreation page.

Kids to Parks Day is a nationwide celebration of the great outdoors and is designed to connect kids and families with their local, state, and national parks and public lands. By discovering and exploring our public lands, kids across the country can learn about park stewardship, outdoor recreation, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), and the history of our country.

By teaching our kids to appreciate and enjoy our public lands, we can foster future outdoor enthusiasts and create the next generation of park stewards and caretakers of these important places.

For more information on Bays Mountain Park, please visit baysmountain.com or call 423-229-9447.

For more information on Kingsport Parks & Recreation, please visit kingsportparksandrecreation.org or call 423-343-9723.

The Kingsport Aquatic Center will host International Water Safety Day on Tuesday, May 15 from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. Prizes, such as swim lessons and Water Park passes, will be given out throughout the event.

“It’s so important to be familiar with basic water-safety skills, especially during summer months when people are more often in the water,” said Kari Matheney, director of the Kingsport Aquatic Center. “Learning to swim and the exposure to the water safety skills and messages that swimming lessons offer provide a lifelong foundation for drowning prevention.”

The Aquatic Center staff will host water safety demonstrations and provide water safety information. Children can take part in mini swim lessons to help determine at which swim level they should participate. Aquatic Center staff will be available to answer questions and discuss pool etiquette and safety.

International Water Safety Day schedule is as follows:

• 4:00 – 4:45        Longfellow’s W.H.A.L.E Tales Movie on Water Safety
  • Legion Room
• 5:00 – 5:20       Backboarding Demo – Lifeguard Demonstration on Spinal/Head Injuries
  • Outdoor Leisure Pool
• 5:30 – 5:50       Mini Swim Lesson – Free Lesson & Placement Tests
  • Outdoor Leisure Pool
• 6:00 – 6:45       Longfellow’s W.H.A.L.E. Tales Movie on Water Safety
  • Legion Room
• 7:00 – 7:20       Mini Swim Lesson – Free lesson & Placement Tests
  • Outdoor Leisure Pool

May is dedicated to education about water safety and Governor Haslam has supported this initiative with an official proclamation. It helps bring attention to the fact that drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among children 5 and under, and the second leading cause of accidental death in children 5 – 14 years-old. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, every day about 10 people die from unintentional drowning. The main factor that contributes to drowning is lack of swimming ability.

If you or your child are interested in swimming lessons, please call 423-343-9758 or visit www.swimkingsport.com.

City Manager Jeff Fleming presented a balanced budget today with no tax increase. In order to balance the budget and deal with a shortfall of $644,000, cuts had to be made.

As city manager, Fleming is required to present a balanced general fund budget each year. He shared city efficiencies, strong operations and a declining employee per capita – doing more with less. Even with strong operations, the city is left with a shortfall of $644,000. This shortfall is a result of a reduction in educational funding by the Sullivan County Commission.

Below are the options considered by the BMA at the work session:

Option A – Cut Services/No Tax Increase

• 20% reduction in funding for special programs ($98,400)
• Cut planned debt – capital projects ($339,722)
• Cut OneKingsport funding by 35% ($245,000).

Option B – Cut Services and Raise Taxes 2 Cents

• 10% reduction in funding for special programs ($49,400)
• Cut planned debt – capital projects. ($241,122)
• Keep OneKingsport projects whole.
• The average homeowner will see a $7/year increase.

Option C – Raise Taxes 4 Cents

• Keep special programs, capital funding and OneKingsport whole and projects on schedule.
• The average homeowner will see a $14/year increase.

After much deliberation, the BMA moved forward with Option A, a cutting of services and no tax increase.

Next steps include passing the fiscal year 2019 budget. To pass the budget, there must be two readings by the BMA. Those meetings will occur on June 5th and 19th.

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To view the General Budget presentation, please click here.

To view the Utilities Budget presentation, please click here.

To view the Kingsport City Schools Budget presentation, please click here.