No tax increase for county
Andserson Countycommissioners on Monday approved a $131.7 million budget for the coming fiscal year with no increase in taxes.
A good part of the meeting of the County Commission was taken up with the budget and related items.
For the new budget year, beginning July 1, residents of Clinton will pay $2.60 in property tax on each $100 of taxable property.
Residents of Oak Ridge will pay $2.46 for each $100 of taxable property. In Oliver Springs, Rocky Top, Norris and rural Anderson County, residents will pay $2.63 per $100 of taxable property.
“This is not a tax increase,” said Commissioner Tracy Wandell.
Finance Director Robbie Holbrook informed the commissioners that the new budget included a 5 percent pay raise for all permanent, full-time county employees.
Commissioner Robert McKamey asked what it would cost to extend the pay raise to part-time county employees.
Anticipating such a question, Holbrook was prepared with an answer of $19,000, and added that there would be more than enough in the fund balance to cover such a raise.
“Part-time people are critical,” said Commissioner Steve Mead.
Commissioners then amended the budget to include a 5 percent raise for the part-time employees, including county commissioners.
The new budget also includes a 2 percent pay increase for school employees. That raise was evidently not enough for some people. “{That} 2 per cent is not going to keep qualified people in the system,” asserted April Perry. She claimed there would be a mass exodus of teachers to surrounding counties where the pay is higher. “Reward quality, not cronies,” Perry asserted, adding, “Don’t purchase technologies teachers did not ask for.” She also complained of a lack of transparency in the salaries of high level administrative personnel. Dr. Tim Parrott, director of schools. attempted to answer Perry’s claims and he also explained the pay scale for administrative and support employees.
The beginning salary of corrections officers was increased in hopes of attracting new officers to alleviate a shortage in that area. Holbook said that due to the increase in gasoline prices the amount budgeted for gasoline has been increased for all departments that used gasoline.
Commissioner Shane Vowell noted that he is a county employee but current Tennessee law allows him to vote on pay raises for county employees. He said he supported pay raises for his fellow county employees. Vowell said in the past he had tried to disqualify himself from pay raises, but that was not allowed.
“”We will be good stewards of your money,” Parrott said in thanking the commissioners for passing the school budget.
As often happens in the last month of the budget year, Holbrook recommended and the board approved a number of budget amendments transferring funds from one account to another in the current budget.
In a related matter trustee Regina Copeland reported that adjustments to individual 2020 tax accounts resulted in a net increase of $173,917.74 in taxes received. She also reported $563,897 in delinquent taxes for 2020. “That is the lowest we have ever turned over,” she said, adding that that total represented a 99 per cent collection rate.