The Fiscal Year 2027 Hamblen County Budget moved closer to passage on Monday afternoon as many items were presented for consideration to commissioners.

Penny Knight, of the Hamblen County Recovery Court, made a presentation before the board. She reported an increase which includes a raise for her two case managers through a $103,000 state grant to contribute towards the court’s annual budget. Knight also noted that participants in the Recovery Court program pay a $1,000 program fee.

For the first 11 months of the FY 2026 budget year, Knight said that the program has received $26,300 in program fees. Knight said that the Recovery Court still has the month of June to collect program fees on before FY 26 ends June 30.

“That’s close to $140,000 brought in against this current year’s budget,” Knight said. “Before they gradu- ate, these participants pay $1,000 program fee. What is waived for them while they are in our program are their probation fees to TDOC. Instead of that, they pay our program $1,000 which doesn’t even cover the cost of their drug screens. But they are contributing something to the program.”

According to Knight, the program runs in 18-month to 24-month cycles. For example, if the Recovery Court has 150 people in the program, most of the people owe the whole $1,000 fee. That money has to be paid off before the client graduates. This fee has only been waived for one person who was attending the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Morristown during the entire time of the program.

Knight also discussed the Mental Health Court, which is fully funded by a $180,000 grant from the state. She said that the court has yet to spend the money in the two years the court has had it. The Mental Health Court has two case managers, one of the positions has been empty for several months. Knight hopes to have that case manager’s position filled in July, after the new fiscal year begins. Hamblen County’s donation to the Mental Health Court pays Knight’s salary due to her supervising that court.

The Drug Court is funded through a $2 million fiveyear SAMSHA federal grant, according to Knight.

“All we have to do is have our submissions turned in and the federal government writes us a check to cover all of the bills,” Knight said. “What makes this budget difficult for me, (County Budget Director) Amanda (Hale) is that the federal fiscal year runs from September 30 of one year to September 29 of the next year.”

The grant funds a data entry person and two case managers, Knight said.

The Drug Court has $86,000 in carry-over funding to help fund patient alcohol and drug counseling services for clients for the expansion grant. This expansion grant will serve the entire Third Judicial District, which includes not only Hamblen, but Greene, Hancock and Hawkins counties.

The Hamblen County Board of Education Budget of $145,611,723.30 with no budget increase over the FY 26 budget was passed with Budget Committee Chairman Rodney Long and commissioners Debbie A’Hearn, Tim Horner and Mike Reed abstaining due to associations with Hamblen County Schools.

A concern was made by County Mayor Chris Cutshaw that the school board budget needed to be approved by a majority of commissioners.

A motion was made to set aside the vote due to the many abstentions and the absence of Commissioners Joe Huntsman and Thomas Doty, as well as the early departure of Commission Chairman Bobby Haun during the meeting. This motion passed on a 7-0 vote. The school budget will be considered later in the process.

Later in the meeting, Hamblen County Trustee Scotty Long was approved to fall under the county liability insurance at a savings of $20,000 on a 12-0 vote. Since Long took office, a $15,000 surety bond that had been placed on the office under the previous trustee had continued until County Attorney Chris Capps opined that Long didn’t need a surety bond and that he could fall under the county’s insurance carrier.

After the two-hour meeting, Rodney Long said that another meeting would be conducted Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Large Courtroom of the Courthouse to continue budget deliberations, starting with nonprofits.