County funds jailers

Highlights include a 2 percent cost of living adjustment for county employees, a new codes enforcement employee, a $1,000 budget for preservation of records, a funding increase of about $1 million for Loudon County Board of Education and assigning Adequate Facilities Tax money to Education Debt Service Fund 156 instead of Education Capital Projects Fund 177.

The largest amendment was for new positions at the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office. Varying raises for staff were dropped after the public voiced concerns during a June 17 public hearing.

Commissioners David Meers and Kelly Littleton-Brewster motioned and seconded, respectively, to move forward with 24 new jailers, six new deputies and five new cars.

The recommendation will require an increase of $983,836 on top of the $2.5 million already planned to be taken out of reserves, Tracy Blair, county budget director, said.

“The effect on the county general fund if this motion passes ... will be utilization of fund balance at right at $3.5 million,” Blair said. “So it will utilize $983,000 more of fund balance than what the original proposal did.”

The vote passed 7-2, with commissioners Shaver and Adam Waller opposing. Matthew Tinker was absent.

Before the vote, Waller tried amending to 15 jailers, six deputies and five cars. Waller was the only vote in favor.

“I just want to fund the deputies and the cars first and then 15 jailers and they (can) come back and ask for the additional nine jailers when they’re ready,” Waller said.

Jimmy Davis, LCSO chief deputy, noted the plan is to hire deputies after July 1 and 15 jailers in October or November.

The other nine jailers could come in February or March, Tim Guider, county sheriff, said after the vote.

“The fact that the employees will be phased in is in itself an indication that the entire amount funded will not be utilized in next year’s budget because there’s a total of 30 new employees,” Blair said. “These employees will not be hired on July 1. So for the sake of this discussion, if all 30 new employees between the sheriff and the jail were hired Jan. 1, then about half of this would be expensed in next year’s budget, the other half would roll into fund balance, but then, of course, July 1 next year you would get the entire year of wages and benefits.”

Duff takes stand

Included in the budget is a redistribution of property tax pennies so that residents inside Lenoir City will see a tax increase in the coming year. The county property tax rate remains 1.8035. The tax levy eventually passed unanimously, with commissioners David Meers and Gary Whitfield motioning and seconding.

Harold Duff, county commissioner, took issue with the proposal and asked commissioners to leave the 6.41 pennies alone in the rural debt portion of the budget.

“An additional 2 cents two years ago was taken, so here we’re picking on one segment of the population to increase over 8 cents in two years and I don’t agree with moving around wherever it affects our neighbors to the tune of what we just got through saying,” Duff said.

The amendment posed by Duff was seconded by Julia Hurley, with a vote failing 7-2. Duff and Hurley were the only votes in favor.

“Lenoir City right now pays 28 cents less in property tax than county residents do because of the school debt fund,” Shaver said.

“So as the debt fund goes down, our new revenue streams go to the debt fund. Under commissioner Duff’s recommendation, apparently we can never ever take those pennies out of there, we just have to leave them there, because every time we reduce our debt and shift pennies it’s going to be a few penny increase on Lenoir City.”

Another “critical part” in the budget proposal was that the redistributed pennies were going toward helping fund the sheriff’s request and construction of a new courthouse annex.

Hurley questioned if Shaver said Lenoir City residents were paying for both efforts. Shaver said no.

“The pennies we took from rural debt are being distributed to pay for general fund expenses and the new annex,” Shaver said. “The annex requires three pennies in order to fund the $7 million over 20 years. So since we didn’t need them there, the argument here is we don’t need them there but just leave them there anyway. The logic is those are stuck there for eternity, we can never take them out.

“Again, if we paid it all off tomorrow, Lenoir City’s tax rate would go up 28 pennies and be equal to everybody else in the county, but as it is they’re paying a lesser tax rate,” he added.

Duff also tried removing a cap for funds to the Loudon County Visitors Bureau. The budget committee’s recommendation was 29 percent hotel/motel tax to the visitors center, with a cap of $145,000. That vote failed 7-2, with only Duff and Hurley in favor.

“This group is a hard-working group,” Duff said.

Shaver tried motioning for a fixed $125,000 not associated with the hotel/motel tax, but that failed for lack of a second.

Other considerations

Waller briefly posed the possibility of removing four of the eight pennies the county BOE would receive. Before he and Shaver rescinded their motion and second, Waller noted he just wanted discussion.

“We’re giving them eight pennies on top of their (maintenance of effort) right now,” Waller said. “We can hold back four of those without a major change and having to go back on everything.”

Loudon County Rollen “Buddy” Bradshaw recommended reducing the sales tax revenue “some” if commissioners worried about the maintenance of effort.

“I don’t have a vote on it, but we’re talking about real money we’re taking away,” Bradshaw said. “You’re talking about programs you’ll start taking away,” Kelly Littleton-Brewster, county commissioner, added.

Shaver sought to freeze raises for the county mayor, county sheriff and county road superintendent positions for one year, claiming they were all 5 percent above the state-required minimum for salaries. That failed for lack of a second.

A vote to offer the Adequate Facilities Tax money collected in Lenoir City go to the city, while the amount collected in the county would go to the county, also failed.

After the motion from Shaver, commission passed an amendment of $61,261 in the 2019-20 budget for shelving for the circuit court and chancery court clerks’ temporary offices and to later be located when staff moves. Money will come out of Fund 171. That vote passed 6-3, with Waller, Littleton-Brewster and Gary Whitfield opposing.

Before commissioners passed a resolution to make appropriations to nonprofits serving the county for the 2019-20 fiscal year, Waller attempted to largely remove the county’s contributions except for a select few groups such as the Loudon County Community Channel and emergency service providers.

Total contributions are about $1.1 million.

“Who are we to sit there and determine what nonprofits get money? There’s so many good ones and I work for one,” Waller said. “... It’s a matter of principle. I don’t think the government should be funding these nonprofits.”

Commission went into a regular called meeting after the budget discussion.

In other news, Loudon County Commission:

• Rezoned 20.18 acres from R-1 Suburban Residential District to R-1 Suburban Residential District with Planned Unit Development overlay at 10616 East Coast Tellico Parkway.

• Rezoned 1.08 acres from C-2 General Commercial District to C-1 Rural Center District on Highway 411 South.

• Accepted donations for programs Loudon County Sheriff’s Office Project Lifesaver, Loudon County Sheriff’s Office Community Awareness and Loudon County Animal Shelter.

• Approved application and acceptance to the 2019-20 fiscal year no-match grants of a $1,837 computer grant for the election office, $12,510 homeland security grant, $16,000 DOE grant, $1,500 juvenile justice center grant and $53,861 senior center grant.

• Authorized issuance of debt for up to $7 million for the construction of a new courthouse annex.

• Passed amendments to County General Fund 101, Public Libraries Fund 115, Recycling Centers Fund 116, General Purpose School Fund 141 and General Capital Projects Fund 171.

• Passed a bond for Mike Garren, interim Loudon County director of schools.