County approves new budget with no tax increase
Cherie Phillips is retiring soon from directing the Anderson County Senior Center but enjoyed a recent honor from Mayor Terry Frank and Anderson County Commission. (photo:Ben Pounds )
The rates will be about $2.60 in Clinton, $2.56 in Oak Ridge and $2.63 in Oliver Springs, Rocky Top, Norris and rural Anderson County per $100 of taxable property. There will be no increase in property tax from the previous year. County Employees will get a 4% pay increase.
The budget is $152,863,406 for all county funds.
Phillips retires
Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank invited the County Commissioners and all watching to attend the retirement party of Senior Director Cherie Phillips at 1 p.m. Friday June 21 at the Anderson County Senior Center.
Phillips was responsible for starting the senior center in its current form as a county service offering activities rather than just an East Tennessee Human Resources Agency.
“The first week I’m going to sleep,” she told Courier News regarding her retirement. She received applause from the commissioners, staff and others present as Frank read a resolution honoring her contributions for the county’s senior residents, which Commission passed. County Commissioner Tracy Wandell made the motion, and Tim Isbel seconded.
“Your passion for the seniors is unmatched,” said Wandell.
“It absolutely saved my life,” said one senior present, Kim Carroll, who said she’d been afraid to be in public before feeling welcome at the senior center.
Library board
The Commission appointed Terri Ryan to the Anderson County Library Board. She beat the other applicant, Darla Williams in a 10-6 vote.
Animal Shelter
Anderson County is moving forward toward creating a new animal shelter.
Commission approved a bond resolution authorizing putting an ad out for a bond of of up to $5,9000 for the project. This bond can cover land, construction, improvement, repair and renovations. The county hopes to pay off the relevant debt using property taxes, documents in the agenda stated. The ad does not mean the county is pursuing the bond yet. Rather it’s just to let the public know and allow them to make comments regarding it.
Opioids
Anderson County has received many settlements from pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies regarding the opioid crisis. A task force is considering different ways the county, its local governments and non-profits can spend the money to help victims of addiction. At the June meeting, Commission accepted yet another settlement, this one from Kroger. While the settlement does not state how much money the county will get specifically, it states up to $6.4 million may go to all Tennessee counties total over 11 years.
Frank told Courier News Anderson County’s calculated “maximum” direct payment from this settlement is $7,068.05 over those 11 years. It may also get a maximum of $77,748.52 over 11 years from a separate opioid abatement fund related to the same Krogeer settlement.