BRISTOL, Tenn. — The Bristol Tennessee City Council this week approved the city’s proposed $155.4 million budget for fiscal year 2026 on first reading. A second vote is scheduled for later this month.

The budget, which takes effect July 1, represents a 4.5% increase over the current year. It includes $96 million for municipal operations, up 5.9%, and $59.4 million for Bristol Tennessee City Schools, which is a 2.5% increase largely driven by rising costs in the General Purpose School Fund.

City Manager Kelli Bourgeois noted that the budget remains a draft as the city awaits the final certified property tax rate, which is still being determined due to ongoing reappraisal appeals in Sullivan County. The preliminary plan is based on an estimated rate of $2.04 per $100 of assessed value, low

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