Budgets Passed

Fore Note: Below are the News Herald stores on all three entities 18-19 budgets. Note in the Lenoir City story, councilman Eddie Simpson stated he was glad they could do it without a tax increase. I guess Simpson has a very short memory, forgetting the Rain Tax he voted for and council passed just a year ago. The mayor must have also forgotten.

Lenoir City approves budget

Nick Davis news-herald.net

Lenoir City Council voted unanimously Monday to pass the second reading of its 2018-19 fiscal year budget.

The budget includes a 2.5 percent pay increase for city employees and no property tax increase. Revenue totals $11,339,265, and the fund balance is projected to end at $3,761,507.

“I enjoyed working with everybody again and I would just like to say thanks to the staff because they’ve worked well with us,” Eddie Simpson, councilman, said during the meeting. “I think the biggest problem this year was the (Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System), trying to make sure that the retirement ... we hope that retirement will be here for many, many years. I think it was a wonderful thing when we did change to TCRS. We got rid of a lot of our fine benefit retirement policies that we had. It was a good year, even though we’ve had some hurdles we’ve had to overcome, but again, I would like to say thanks for everybody that worked on the budget and I’m glad we could do it without a tax increase.”

Lenoir City Mayor Tony Aikens also praised the city’s efforts in maintaining a zero increase in property tax.

“Obviously, it’s very big because you’ve got people that live in Lenoir City that still live on a fixed income,” Aikens said. “I think it says something about the way Lenoir City government is ran. We’re going to continue being conservative and we’re going to continue to have good, solid reserves. We’re proud of that and that’s something to be proud of with a 99-cent tax rate. In 2013, we absorbed a reassessment of $54,000. Well, that wasn’t $54,000 for one year, that was $54,000 for four years. Again, I don’t know any city around us that’s doing that. We’re just very blessed.”

The city’s TCRS plan will increase to $640,000 as compared to the $100,000 initially budgeted for the year.

Lenoir City will also appropriate $100,000 to the Loudon County Visitors Bureau for a new marketing campaign, which is a $70,000 increase from the current budget.

“The Visitors Bureau brought up some statistics that they had done with Joe Bogardus and Rachel Baker,” Aikens said. “They showed us what the Visitors Bureau has been doing and showed us how they had been marketing Lenoir City and Loudon County.

We were able to give them more funds that they had asked for and we felt like it was beneficial that they were marketing Lenoir City. We wanted to give them a shot at it and we told them that we would look at it on a year-to-year basis. We probably won’t promise them that much next year, but we felt like it was a good investment.

“The more people that comes through here, the better,” he added. “Whether they’re stopping here or whether they’re traveling onto the Smokies, we have over 50,000 cars a day that’s coming through Lenoir City. We felt like the more they could market our hotels, restaurants and what Lenoir City and Loudon County has to offer, the better off we are, which brings in more motel, hotel and sales tax. We’ll see where it goes from here.”

In other business, Lenoir City Council:

• Approved the 2018-19 Lenoir City Schools budget of $21,070,827, including a 1 percent pay increase and 1 percent Christmas bonus for employees.

• Approved the creation of a handicapped parking space in front of a residence located at 510 West 2nd Ave.

• Approved a motion to bid for a new street department truck.

• Approved the creation of a median opening near 5491 Creekwood Park Boulevard.

• Approved an agreement that will allow River Sports Outfitters Inc. to provide equipment rentals for Lenoir City Park and cove.

Loudon passes city budget

Jonathan Herrmann news-herald.net

Loudon City Council Monday night voted to accept the second reading of its 2018-19 fiscal year budget with one small amendment beforehand.

During the public hearing before the meeting, council was questioned on whether any money would be allocated to the sign and awning commercial grants under the courthouse square revitalization fund.

There had been nothing budgeted for signs and awnings as that portion of the fund had been depleted.

“What was in last year’s was the balance of an original $100,000 that was appropriated for the entire program about 10 years ago,” Stephanie Putkonen, city recorder and treasurer, said. “We only had $18,666 is what was budgeted last year. We’ve actually gone over a little bit. The ones that were budgeted in May actually took it over by about $700.”

Ty Ross, city manager, recommended allocating $20,000 from the overall courthouse square fund to signs and awnings as an amendment to the budget prior to voting, “given that recent experience and what we’re projecting in the future.”

Currently there are three new businesses in the courthouse square area that hope to take advantage of the grants.

“Based on comments made at tonight’s public hearing as well as feedback from council, I’m recommending a revision to your agenda memo,” Ross said. “The budget ordinance, second reading, item one describes the courthouse square revitalization fund. We’ll strike ‘reduced the sign and awning grant to zero’ and add in, with the added revenue and expenditures for the tourism grant, to also include the sign and awning grants in the amount of $20,000.”

The budget passed, as amended, by a vote of 4-0. Councilman Jeff Harris was absent.

“It needs to be done, especially with new businesses coming in,” Jim Greenway, city mayor, said of the amendment.

Overall very little changed in this year’s budget from the year before. Ross has touted the year’s budget as a simple one.

Council also voted to keep the tax rate the same as the year before at $1.1767 and to amend the pay classification for restructuring of positions discussed at the council’s workshop earlier in the month.

“The city recorder and treasurer position was combined with ... the (Loudon Utilities Board) paying 25 percent of that salary,” Ross said. “We also added an accounting clerk position with the city and utilities equally sharing the cost.”

Changes were made to pay classifications with the public works department as well, reducing the laborer position from classification five to four, and raising the skilled laborer position classification from two to three. A 2 percent raise was also given to city employees.

Additionally, six “long vacated” positions were removed from the pay classification in what Ross called a “housekeeping” measure.

In other business, council:

• Approved the purchase of playground equipment.

• Approved the donation of a 2007 Ford Crown Victoria to the Blount County Sheriff’s Office.

• Amended the 2017-18 fiscal year budget.

• Announced a special called meeting for noon on Monday.

• Reappointed Gene Farmer to the LUB Board of Directors.

County passes budget

Jeremy Nash news-herald.net

Loudon County Commission approved its 2018-19 fiscal year budget on Monday, but not before members discussed a variety of amendments.

The budget as approved includes a property tax rate of $1.8035, a 29 percent contribution of the hotel/motel tax to Loudon County Visitors Bureau, one full-time position each for the planning office and animal shelter, a part-time position for the veterans services office, a 3 percent raise, maintenance of effort funding for the county schools and highway department and brings all full-time employees to at least $25,500.

Commissioners Henry Cullen and Leo Bradshaw motioned and seconded, respectively, with the vote passing 7-2 in favor.

Commissioners Van Shaver and Matthew Tinker opposed, and Commissioner David Meers was absent.

Salaries discussed

One amendment considered was brought up by Shaver, who requested commission provide a 3 percent raise for employees who were not elected officials, did not have their salary increased to $25,500 and were not affected by the lawsuit with Loudon County General Sessions and Circuit Court Clerk Lisa Niles. Shaver motioned and Commissioner Kelly Littleton-Brewster seconded, with the vote passing 7-2. Bradshaw and Tinker opposed.

Plans initially were to include a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment for all employees and wage adjustments for chief deputies in the offices of assessor, chancery, county clerk and register of deeds of $4,971 to bring them in line with similar positions held in the county. Adjustments to chief deputies would have totaled $20,000, Tracy Blair, county budget director, said in a previous interview.

“What’s going to get many of us looked and fussed at a little bit, ‘Why does so-and-so get a 7 percent raise and I got a 2 percent? I’m doing this and that,’ and of course everybody’s got the hardest job, we know that,” Shaver said. “But like I said in the joint meeting, the only thing that makes this kind of tolerable is that we are fair for everybody across the board, and this one had a lot of ups and downs.”

Bradshaw worried a 3 percent raise would be more money than what was proposed.

A figure could not be determined by News-Herald presstime.

“I think the budget is fine the way it’s presented to county commission as far as making the salaries reasonable across the board and adjusting the salaries that should be adjusted up, and it gives the 2 percent to everybody that doesn’t get the bigger adjustment, and it’s by far less expensive than 3 percent across the board,” Bradshaw said.

On a separate note, Shaver asked if commission would consider leaving salaries for county mayor, sheriff and highway superintendent the same as it is for the 2017-18 year, but the motion failed for lack of a second. The mayor will earn $96,155, while the sheriff and highway superintendent get $91,576.

Growth money requested

Tinker requested commission consider giving its share of growth money to Loudon County Schools.

Tinker motioned and Commissioner Harold Duff seconded, with the vote failing 4-5. Commissioners Bradshaw, Shaver, Littleton-Brewster, Cullen and Earlena Maples opposed.

“Tonight we spent a lot of money, people got big raises, more even raises because of the 3 percent, but the schools didn’t get an extra dollar,” Tinker said. “They will be getting some money from the state department, they will be getting some more money in sales tax, but it doesn’t alleviate us from our responsibility in our duty to fund our portion.”

Blair estimated there would be about $350,000 in growth.

Shaver said the county schools would have received $238,000 if passed, while the city’s portion would have been $112,000 based on average daily attendance.

“The revenue, what we budget has stayed the same for the last since ‘15-’16, but the revenues themselves have been higher,” Loudon County Mayor Rollen “Buddy” Bradshaw said.

Tinker noted an increase in operating costs as a reason to help after having only contributed growth money once in eight years.

“In the same time period that you’re talking about they have received over $2 million in new revenue, unknown new revenue in this same time frame that you’re talking about,” Shaver said.

Blair estimates the BOE will have more than $1.5 million budgeted in revenues used to calculate to maintenance of effort.

MOE for 2018-19 is scheduled to be $3,391 more than the current fiscal year, she said. MOE will be about $9.6 million.

“So the reason that I brought this up at the budget committee is because I felt that there was the idea that the money wasn’t going there,” Blair said. “If that’s where it goes, it goes there, and that’s the estimate in these revenues for the current fiscal year.”

Shaver believes the BOE will be in “sound financial condition.”

“The point is you either do it a little bit at a time and continue for it to grow or at some point you will have to have a property tax (increase),” Tinker said. “You can’t go on forever with no increased funds.”

Planning position debated

Shaver motioned and Tinker seconded for the commission to consider removing $26,500 out of the planing department budget that would be used for a new position.

The vote failed 3-6, with Commissioners Duff, Cullen, Bradshaw, Littleton-Brewster, Maples and Bill Satterfield opposing.

The position would help Director of Planning Laura Smith and Director of Codes Enforcement Jim Jenkins, Buddy Bradshaw said.

“And a person at ($26,500) is not going to be a person that can do that,” Shaver said. “... I had a surveyor tell me they won’t be back to Loudon County.”

“All the departments that I’ve gotten feedback on the last four years as a commissioner has been that department,” Harrelson added.

“I mean I got hounded by people weekly about the inefficiency, the slowness, ‘We’ve got to get moving, we can’t get plans approved, da-da-da,’ and I just firmly believe hiring a $26,500 employee is not going to help that situation.”

Buddy Bradshaw has received his share of compliments and complaints regarding all departments, he said.

“We have an employee that is asking for help and it seems to be the consensus that some people sitting at the table here saying that she needs help, or that she needs to be dismissed, so that being the case, we’re ready to deny her help that she is crying for?” Duff said. “That’s what it is, isn’t it? Isn’t that the bottom line?”

In other business, Loudon County Commission:

• Approved term and board updates for Board of Zoning Appeals, Equalization Board, Regional Planning Commission, Tennessee County Commissioners Association Committee and Tellico Area Services System Board of Directors.

• Passed application and acceptance for a $1,000 technology grant to purchase computers at Philadelphia Public Library. Required matching funds will be taken out of the library’s sub-fund. Commission also accepted application and acceptance of a fiscal year 2018-19 Delegated Grant Authority no-match funds with the Tennessee Department of Health for $362,000.

• Passed resolutions to accept donations for Loudon County Sheriff’s Office Project Lifesaver, LCSO Community Awareness and Loudon County Animal Shelter.

• Approved amendments for County General Fund 101, Public Library Fund 115, Highway Fund 131, General Purpose School Fund 141, General Capital Projects Fund 171, Highway Capital Projects Fund 176, Education Capital Projects Fund 177. Commissioners also approved an additional amendment in the County General Fund to increase the hotel/motel tax revenue in tourism with net effect being a $56,800 increase to the fund balance.

• Approved a resolution on the tax levy for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

• Passed a resolution making appropriations to nonprofit organizations serving the county for July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019.

• Increased the appropriation in Fund 177 for $87,500 from Adequate Facilities Tax for expenses requested by the BOE, increased the appropriation in Fund 171 for $9,403 for chairs at the Loudon County Health Department, and increased an appropriation in Fund 101 for $50,000 to help purchase land for Loudon County Fire & Rescue.