The news: Covington’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen met Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. The agenda included a resolution letting the city apply for a federal loan of up to $10 million to build a new Emergency Services Facility.

The loan: Under the resolution, the city would apply to USDA Rural Development for up to $10,000,000. The city would back the loan with a general obligation bond. The resolution spells it out: this is “a loan, not a grant,” and the city would have to repay all of it, with interest.

What’s the building? The resolution doesn’t describe the facility beyond its name. At the city’s Oct. 20 Finance and Administration Committee meeting, Police Chief Donna Turner presented construction-manager documents for the Community Safe Room and funding options for a new police building. Justin Hanson of the Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund also walked the committee through financing options.

Also up for a final vote: your utility rates. Ordinance 1803 updates the city’s fee schedule and was on the agenda for a public hearing and third and final reading. As written, it would:

  • Adjust gas, water, sewer and solid waste rates every year to match the federal Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). Changes would kick in with the July billing cycle.
  • Let the board reject any yearly adjustment by passing a resolution.
  • Raise some deposits and sewer fees, and set new civic center rental fees.

Cemetery prices: The fee table in the meeting packet lists these proposed changes:

  • Grave space: $150 to $700
  • Per-grave maintenance fee ($530): removed and folded into the purchase price
  • Certificate fee: $20 to $50
  • Locating a grave space: $35 to $50
  • New opening and closing fees: $800 on weekdays, $1,000 on weekends

A separate ordinance, 1804, which amends the city’s cemetery policy, was up for its first reading.

Coming soon: On Oct. 20, the committee told City Attorney Rachel Simmons to draft proposed City Charter changes on a city manager, term limits and a “resign to run” rule for aldermen. Drafts are due at the committee’s next meeting.

Did it pass? Minutes from the Oct. 27 meeting weren’t posted when we checked, so we haven’t confirmed the votes. We’ll update this post when they go up.

Sources: City of Covington BMA agenda and packet, Oct. 27, 2026, Covington BMA agendas page.

Photo: Carl Wycoff / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)