The Hamblen County Budget Committee took action on budgets of county offices Monday afternoon with votes on departmental budgets that do not include a Cost-of-Living Increase.

The County Commission budget passed with commissioners Edna Greene, Peggy Howell and Wayne NeSmith voting no.

Commissioners voting yes were Debbie A’Hearn, Jamie Carden, Stan Harville, Bobby Haun, Tim Horner, Rodney Long, Mike Reed, Mike Richardson and Kyle Walker.

Commissioners Thomas Doty and Joe Huntsman were absent.

The Chairman of the County Commission’s salary is set by the incoming

See BUDGET page 3 commission, according to County Mayor Chris Cutshaw, himself a previous Chairman of the Commission before his appointment and subsequent election as County Mayor.

“A commissioner’s monthly salary can be changed at any time,” Cutshaw said. “It will not go into effect until the next term.”

The Board of Equalization’s budget was passed on an 10-2 vote with Greene and NeSmith voting no.

The budget for County Mayor Chris Cutshaw included a $5,400 increase for a car allowance. Cutshaw had been using his own vehicle for trips to and from Knoxville, as well as several trips to Nashville as required.

“Our mayor does a lot of traveling to Knoxville, usually to Nashville a couple of times a month,” Commission Chairman Bobby Haun said. “He has been doing that at his own expense during his first term. That is completely unacceptable.”

Haun said that the allowance is usually budgeted for every year and thought it was only fair that Cutshaw is reimbursed for his travel.

Budget Director Amanda Hale said that the travel allowance is allowed as a taxable fringe benefit.

County Attorney Chris Capps will have an increase to $50,000 for legal services, an increase from $35,000. Capps intends to retire after this fiscal year, according to Hale.

This passed on an 11-1 vote.

Passing on 12-0 votes were budget for the Hamblen County Election Commission, Register of Deeds, Codes Compliance, Geographical Information Systems, County Maintenance, other General Administration, Archies, Finance, Assessor of Property, Reappraisals, Trustee, County Clerk, Data Processing, Circuit Court, General Sessions Court parts I and II, Clerk and Master, Juvenile Court, Mental Health Court, Probation Services, Courtroom Security, the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office, Special Patrols/School Resource Officers, Sex Offender Registry, the Justice Center’/ Jail, Workhouse, Work Release, the Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security Grant, the Civil Service Board and Medical Examiner’s offices.

Passing on 11-1 votes were Planning and Zoning and the Drug Court.

Passing on 11-0 votes after one commissioner left the meeting were the Drug Court Expansion, a dentist for the Health Department Office, Contracts with Government Agencies, Cherokee Park, UT Agriculture Extension Office, Stormwater Management, Veteran’s Services, Employee Benefits for Liability Insurance and Workman’s Compensation, Miscellaneous, Capital projects that include roofing for the old Courthouse and striping for the parking lots, HVAC unit replacement, three vehicles to be purchased for the HCSO, the Tab 59 Sanitation Fund, Debt Service Fund 151, the Special Debt Service Fund and Drug Control Fund.

An 10-1 vote allowed an outsourcing for new Motorola radios, in which Ne-Smith voted no. The Highway Capital Projects Fund passed 10-0 with Richardson abstaining.

A tourism budget and the budget for the Hamblen County Industrial Development Board both passed on a 9-2 vote with Greene and NeSmith voting against.

The Highway Fund 131 for $120,000 passed on a 10-0-1 vote with Richardson abstaining with cause.