The Signal Mountain Council has put off a budget decision, with other members not backing a 22-percent tax hike recommendation by Mayor Dan Landrum. The town of Signal Mountain is facing increasing expenses and reduced income and the council must decide what to do. A grant that helped pay the salaries for firefighters at the new fire station will soon end and the town will become entirely responsible for those employees. Multiple projects have increased in cost since they were begun. This leaves Signal Mountain to pay the differences from the original amounts that were planned. Paving has had one of the largest increases and, after the rainy winter that left roads in bad condition, the cost to fix them is extremely high. It now costs $220,000 to pave one mile. An additional 1.25 miles added to what was originally planned for resurfacing will cost $338,000.