Gadsden council adopts budget amendment to spend TIF balance on Riverside monument and city hall renovation

The Gadsden City Council on July 29 adopted an ordinance amending the fiscal year 2025 budget to appropriate the remaining balance of Tax Increment Financing District 1 for a Riverside Park dedication monument and renovations to a new city hall. The measure allocates $25,000 for a Riverside Park dedication monument and $2,300,000 for new city hall renovations, according to the ordinance language read aloud during the meeting. Council members voted to adopt the ordinance after a motion and second; the chair said the motion carried. The amendment directs the remaining TIF District 1 funds toward those two projects but the ordinance as presented did not include additional spending details or a construction timeline. The council did not request further discussion during the adoption vote. Tax increment financing (TIF) districts are local financing tools that capture incremental property tax revenue in designated areas for redevelopment; the ordinance cited the existing District 1 balance as the funding source but did not change the district's boundaries or tax levies. With the vote, the council authorized city staff to proceed under the amended fiscal-year appropriation; no companion motions or follow-up reporting requirements were announced during the meeting.