Commission Adopts FY 2004-05 Budget

September 23, 2004

HUNTSVILLE - Although it was a couple of months behind schedule, County Commission sailed through the budget-adoption process with little discussion here Monday night.

Meeting in regular monthly session, the commissioners first accepted the various departmental budgets individually, then approved an appropriations resolution and formally adopted the tax rate.

Scott County's tax rate for the 2004-2005 fiscal year is, as expected, $2.40 per $100 assessed property value - the same rate as last year. The $2.40 rate is for all property owners residing outside the Oneida Special School District (OSSD). Property owners residing inside the OSSD will be paying $2.80, also the same rate as was adopted a year ago.

The first order of business as far as the budget was concerned was to accept a reworked school budget, which was approved by the Scott County Board of Education in a special called meeting last week. The budget, which totals around $17 million, includes approximately $3 million generated by a $1.18 on the county's property tax rate. Murphy said this year's school budget also contains $100,000 more than was approved by the county last year. Acceptance of the school budget carried by a 12-2 vote, with Leonard Bertram and Odeva Byrd casting the dissenting votes.

Other county budgets adopted by separate motions were the Probation, Drug Control, Solid Waste, Highway Public Works, Ambulance Service, Rural School Debt Service, General Debt Service and County General Fund.

In other action taken Monday night, the commissioners:

Voted 10-4 to approve a motion by Jack Sexton in opposition to efforts underway to legalize liquor by the drink (in Huntsville and Oneida);

Voted to award bids for three patrol cars at $24,659 each for the Scott County Sheriff's Department (to Philpott Motors), and a Ford Expedition priced at $25,350 (to Lance Cunningham Ford) for Scott County Sheriff Jim Carson. Upon delivery of the new vehicles to the Sheriff's Department, six patrol vehicles currently in use will be retired, according to County Mayor Dwight Murphy;

Approved a resolution authorizing the county mayor to submit a Tennessee Investment Loan Program application on behalf of the Lecarra company for up to $745,000 for funds to construct a new production facility in Scott County. Included in that resolution was a request for some $15,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds for Scott County for administrative purposes;

Approved a motion which will allow Scott County Trustee Jimmy Byrd to acquire the technology needed to allow local property taxpayers to pay their bills online via the Internet. The software maintenance and support package is priced at $520 a year. County mayor told the commissioners that Scott County will become the first county in East Tennessee where taxpayers can pay their taxes online;

Voted to authorize Community Development Committee Chairman Ernest Phillips and the commission's Chairman Pro Tem Mike Slaven to negotiate an agreement with the Town of Huntsville for treating sewage which will be generated when the grant-funded Fairview sewer system is complete. That project, Murphy said, is nearing completion and awaits moratorium being lifted by the state on new customers being hooked on to Huntsville's sewer system. A spokesperson for the Town of Huntsville said that the town's new sewer treatment facility should be operational by the end of November;

news@ihoneida.com

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