Commission hears budget proposal

Loudon County Commission met Thursday to hear from the county’s Budget Committee regarding the upcoming 2023-2024 fiscal year budget.

Highlights included a recommendation to maintain the current county tax rate based on an increase in the value of the penny.

Loudon County Mayor Rollen “Buddy” Bradshaw said all five members of the committee voted to approve the budget.

Commissioner Van Shaver, who is on the budget committee, said the county focuses on providing needed services without excessive spending. He said the goal is to treat county employees fairly and provide as many department requests as possible.

“This year’s budget felt like we pretty well accomplished all those goals,” Shaver said.

He said the bulk of tax receipts go to Loudon County Board of Education for the general fund and debt service.

This year’s budget provides about $500,000 in additional funding for Loudon County Schools to address the growth in student population, Shaver said.

Other increases include $100,000 for fire safety split between the Philadelphia, Tellico Village and Greenback departments. Loudon County Fire & Rescue was left unchanged at $140,000.

A commitment fund for fire protection at $560,000 is also proposed and would be disbursed based on specific requests and needs. Bradshaw said the fund would be a recurring cost.

Shaver said the idea is to build a fund for purchasing large-tickets items for county fire safety departments.

Full-time county employees are proposed for an increase of $2,000 annually based on a 40-hour work week. Part-time county employees are budgeted for a 5% increase.

Shaver said he was glad for the $2,000 cost-of-living raise.

“County employees are who make the county go, and we want to try to be as fair with them as we can be and right now the county is in a good position financially,” Shaver said. “They’re the folks who make it happen, and we want to try to pay back and help them all we can when we can.”

The budget includes the addition of seven county employees, including a full-time patrol deputy, narcotics office, investigator and a school resource officer in the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office.

Codes enforcement would get a new position, and chancery court would add a person who would handle passports and other duties. The Property Assessor’s Office would get a temporary position.

A public hearing for the budget is set to begin a commission workshop at 6 p.m. June 19 at the Loudon County Courthouse Annex. Adoption of the new budget is scheduled for commission’s regular meeting at 6 p.m. June 26 at the annex.