Budget Committee Faces $1.6 Deficit – Struggles to Make Cuts
Members of the Jefferson County Budget Committee were hard at work Monday evening, April 22, 2019, as they met to address funding requests from non profit organizations. The committee entered the evening $1,679,000 in the red, according to information provided by Jefferson County Finance Director Potts, and looking to dig out the county out of the financial hole. The Budget Committee moved with relative ease through funding for local fire departments as none requested any increase in funds. With a motion from Committee Member Kesterson and 2nd from Committee Member Douglas, there was a unanimous decision to leave funding at the requested level, which was last year’s funding amount of $65,000 for Baneberry, Kansas Talbot, Lakeway Central and Parrots Chapel fire departments. Chestnut Hill and White Pine fire departments were funded at $66,379 and $67,038 respectively, while the Town of Dandridge and Jefferson City were funded at $85,660 and $74,525. New Market fire department, which also serves Strawberry Plains, was funded at $103,000. Committee Members Dockery and Solomon abstained with cause.
The Jefferson County Rescue Squad, represented by Treasure Frank Herndon, requested a $4,000 dollar increase over current funding of $71,000. With a Motion from Dockery and Solomon the committee unanimously voted to fund at the current level of $71,000 for the next fiscal year. While funding for the local fire departments and rescue squad were determined quickly, establishing a funding level for the Boys and Girls Club was time consuming and difficult for the committee.
Committee Member Dockery opened the discussion on funding for the Boys and Girls Club, following a presentation by leader of the local organization Jessica Page. In the current fiscal year, the club received $80,000 in funding and it was requesting $100,000 for the next fiscal year. Dockery spoke to the need for another ambulance that could take the pressure off the services provided in the greater Dandridge area which filters down to much of Jefferson County. He also spoke of limited finances and the need to provide the most useful services, that of emergency service, to the community. Dockery noted that the County Commission had, in previous years, cut all other non profit organizations besides fire, rescue, animal shelter and the Boys and Girls Club also noting that the Boys and Girls Club had increased funding from Jefferson County tax payers over the years moving from $60,000 to $80,000 and the current request for $100,000. He pointed to the total budget of the club and the fact that Jefferson County only funded around 10% of their total budget. Dockery made the motion to cut funding to zero for the Boys and Girls Club for the next fiscal year. He was 2nd by Committee Member Walker and the motion failed 3-6. Dockery’s motion was one of more than nine motions that were brought by various committee members with levels of funding at $40,000-$55,000-$60,000-$65,000-$75,000-$80,000-$87,000-$100,000 and $110,000. The committee struggled with a divide in philosophy, with most motions ending in a 3-6 vote or dying for lack of a second. The closest motion presented was funding at $65,000 which ended in a 4-5 split. Committee Member Phagan offered a motion to fund at $68,000 and was 2nd by Committee Member Walker. The motion passed 6-3 and the funding level was set at $68,000, which reflects a $12,000 cut from the current year’s funding and $32,000 less than was requested.
Safe Space funding was approved at the current year’s level of $4,000 which is the contribution level necessary for the non profit to qualify for grants that require a county investment. C.A.R.E which provides animal services for Jefferson County as its acting animal shelter had received funding in the amount of $100,000 for the current fiscal year and an additional $20,000 for extra expenses during the current fiscal year. The non profit organization requested a funding level of $120,000 for the 2019/20 fiscal year. The motion to fund as requested failed in a 5-4 vote. It was followed by a motion to fund at $110,000 offered by Phagan and Reed that was approved on a 3-6 vote. The Committee also approved, with a motion from Solomon and 2nd from Phagan, the request of the Chamber of Commerce for $345,000 which will come from hotel/motel tax. In the final action of the evening, a motion from Solomon and 2nd from Reed that would fund the County 911 service at the requested level of $619,829 was approved.
In closing remarks, Jefferson County Finance Director Potts and Budget Committee Chairman Scarlett noted that, after the action taken during the meeting, Jefferson County is $1,653,000 in the red. The next Budget Committee meeting will be Monday evening at the Historic Jefferson County Courthouse.
