County commissioners are determined to reduce the property tax rate to $2.18, the amount set by the state to keep total property tax revenue equal to last year. This was a reappraisal year, and the state will not allow counties to automatically get a windfall in property tax money based on increased valuations.

The budget committee was faced with cutting more than half a million dollars from the proposed budget to get to the certified tax rate. After the first major budget cutting meeting, the committee last week faced finding nearly $300,000 more. By the end of the second meeting, they were down to around $54,000 to go, with pay raises being the only thing left to cut. On hand for last week’s meeting were Mark Bishop, Wanda Cheek, Daniel Deal, Kevin Stephens, John Pippenger and Daren Waters. After the commission meeting Monday night, they added to the TVA revenue category and increased several inaccurate salary line items but were still short. They will meet again Aug. 28 after a recessed meeting.

Also Monday night, the commission turned down a School Board request for funds to provide a 1% pay raise for teachers, which would have required 3 1/2¢ on the tax rate. The system is being held to approximately the same amount of money provided last year, which is required by law.

The major reductions came when they decided to shift $132,000 out of the budget and use fund balance money to pay for the Americans with Disabilities Act rooms in the Courthouse and the roof repairs. They also decided against including around $70,000 to cover the Copper Basin Medical Center bond payment. The hospital has been making the payment for years but was late last year, causing a near default.

The committee once again turned to the jail budget, looking for possible cuts. Mark Bishop made a motion to cut the proposed 5% pay raise for guards, noting that most of them will see a pay hike because they will move up a step. Kevin Stephens seconded but it failed with Waters and Pippenger voting against. Waters said he is not against anybody getting a raise, adding he can’t go along with some but not others. Pippenger pointed out that jailers, dispatchers and deputies got a raise two years ago.

Bishop pointed out that revenue from state prisoners helps offset the costs but the jail is still costing the county money, including the bond payments. He noted that people think the jail is the reason that the tax rate will be down. Waters said many think the jail is making money, which is not the case.

Bishop said the food service budget for the jail was higher than necessary and made the motion to reduce it by $13,000. It was approved. The  jail utility budget was also reduced by $24,000, based on last year’s usage and including a proposed TVA rate hike, on a motion by Kevin Stephens.

Several revenue line items were increased, including interest and penalty on past tax collections, business tax, cable TV franchise, and commissary sales at the jail.

Waters last week suggested looking at a way to give all employees a flat amount all at one time rather than go with a percent increase. Most budgets included a 5% pay raise. Bishop said they might do a longevity bonus for the Courthouse staff but added he would rather do an hourly increase rather than a percent. He said the raise the Courthouse employees got several years ago was not the same as what the Sheriff’s Department received. County Executive Mike Stinnett pointed out that there are people working different hours and getting the same salary.

Waters said a 25¢/hour raise would be around $520/year. A 5% raise won’t make a bit of difference to most employees, he said, adding he would rather give Courthouse employees a lump sum. The total cost would be around $20,000. He said Monday that several officeholders said they would rather not have a lump sum payment, even if the difference in each pay check is small.

The commission delayed further discussion of the pay raise issue until Aug. 28. Bishop said he didn’t see any way to increase revenue to cover the final $26,000 needed after Monday night’s discussion “the only thing left is those raises,” he said, adding he would figure out the difference between providing 5% or 50¢ an hour. Stinnett pointed out that the Sheriff’s budget did not include pay raises so that would have to be added if raises are granted.

Bishop said last week that he would like to see the county put a couple of computers in each of the library rooms and hook them up to the Internet. He said he thinks they could get the computers donated. Budget Director Rachel Rogers said they will have to pay for filters to block inappropriate sites and develop guidelines. Waters asked about the cost and Pippenger said it would probably be around $600-$800 a year. He will check on the filtering cost and Waters will check on the cost to provide the Internet in Ducktown. There was general agreement that the computers should be located at Ducktown rather than Copperhill. The Courthouse already has Internet access.