County passes budget without tax increase
In a narrow vote, the Anderson County Commission voted against creating an executive director to oversee the Anderson County library system’s directors, including for Clinton Public Library. (photo:Ben Pounds )
The final amended budget passed with only two commissioners voting against it.
Before approving the budget, commissioners voted 9-7 to eliminate a proposed part-time executive director position that would have overseen directors of the Clinton, Briceville, Norris and Rocky Top public libraries.
The commission returned the $45,000 budgeted for the position to funding for other part-time library employees.
Commissioner Bob Smallridge made the motion to approve the overall budget as amended, and Commissioner Robert McKamey seconded it.
Commissioners Tim Isbel and Tracy Wandell cast the only votes against the budget.
Commissioners Chad McNabb, Michael Foster, Denise Palmer, Joshua Anderson, Shelly Vandagriff, Shain Vowell, McKamey, Jerry White, Anthony Allen, Ebony Capshaw, Sabra Beauchamp, Steven Verran, Phil Yager and Smallridge voted in favor.
The total budget for all funds is $158,265,698, according to the County Commission agenda.
Raises
Foster made the motion to extend the 3% raise to employees of the county Library System, Highway Department, Tourism Council and Channel 95. Capshaw seconded the motion.
Foster said the change was intended to ensure that employees across county departments receive the same raise as General Fund employees, including those in the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Senior Center and Veterans Services.
Finance Director Robert Holbrook said department heads could still decide against giving employees the raises recommended by the commission.
Libraries
Verran made the motion to eliminate the proposed part-time library executive director position and return the $45,000 budgeted for the position to funding for other part-time library employees. Anderson seconded the motion.
The motion passed on a split vote.
County Mayor Terry Frank spoke in favor of creating the part-time executive director position.
“There’s a lot of conflict, and that conflict is coming up due to a lack of proper structure,” she said.
Frank said final authority to appoint the executive director would still rest with the Library Board.
During public comments, Oak Ridge resident Nathan Mullins also supported creating the position, saying an executive director could rein in library staff members who he said had failed to comply with federal executive orders.
“No one has had the ability to fire the usual suspects who are using activist tactics,” he said.
Verran, however, said the library system had operated under its existing structure for many years and that creating the position would take money away from part-time employees.
“They need the part-time help to keep the library doors open,” he said.
Library Board Secretary Tommy Mariner also opposed creating the position, calling it “an unwanted level of executive fat.”
Gina Long, a part-time employee at Rocky Top Public Library, said employees like her, whose positions are supported by that pool of funding, are necessary to keep the libraries running smoothly.