Road Superintendent J.C. Jones asked the Greene County Commission’s Budget & Finance Committee on Monday to bring the Highway Department’s funding in line with other county departments.

In effect, Jones asked for at least a 10-cent increase in county property taxes to help pay for needed road improvements.

Jones noted that the county’s General Fund tax levy has grown from 27 cents of the 1990 tax levy to 78 cents of the current levy.

During the same period, he said, the county Highway Department’s share of property taxes has gone from 25 cents in 1990 to 15 cents today.

Jones said he realizes that other county departments have mandates that increase their costs, “but so do we,” he said.

Jones also stressed that the Highway Department’s basic costs for asphalt and other materials have risen greatly during the period, and have risen sharply this past year.

Jones said that if the Highway Department’s funding were to be brought up to the level of the General Fund, this would require a 76-cent property tax hike; but if this cannot be done, he asked, “why not raise me back to the 1990 level?”

The budget committee took no action on the request, or on that of the Solid Waste Department, or on requests from several non-profit agencies or governmental units that were asking for support.

It did vote to approve a resolution to begin charging county detention center inmates a $15 “co-pay” whenever an inmate receives medical care or a prescription drug. Broyles said the state legislature recently authorized such a charge.

Commissioner Billy McCamey noted that medical care is one of the biggest expenditures at the detention center. He said the co-pay charge is a good idea, even though many inmates will not be able to pay it.

Many Funding Requests

The committee heard from Mike McElroy, of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which last year received $49,213 in county funding. This year the agency, which is part of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, is asking for $55,810.

Teresa Kidd of the Nolachuckey-Holston Area Mental Health Center made a presentation for that agency, which she said is asking for the same allocation as last year, $22,510.

Kidd noted that one service the agency provides to the county is that of a counselor who visits the Greene County Detention Center twice a week and is available for emergencies. Kidd noted that the agency had 2,107 active cases of counseling in Greene County last year.

Child Advocacy Center

The Rev. Lawrence Jersey, director of the Child Advocacy Center, which works with children who are victims of abuse in Greene, Hawkins, Hamblen and Hancock counties, presented a request for $3,000.

The center received no funding from the county government last year, because it “had no track record,” Jersey said.

Since then, from Feb. 13 to Dec. 31, 2001, the Child Advocacy Center assisted 213 children, and this year has received 376, he said. Of these, he said, 30.7 percent of the children came from Greene County.

Jersey said the Center has provided considerable training to county teachers, child care workers and the local office of the District Attorney General. It has also distributed 20,000 pieces of literature on child abuse.

He said the center has just received word that the Town of Mosheim will contribute to its funding this year, and the CAC is seeking funding from Hawkins and Hamblen counties as well.

Solid Waste Department

County Executive Alan Broyles presented the budget for the Solid Waste Department, because its director, Gary Rupert, could not attend.

Pat Noland, the county’s budget director, gave members a printout showing that last year’s budget for the Solid Waste Department was $1,878,607, which was amended to $1,919,244. This year’s requested budget is for $1,984,487, representing a 5 percent increase. Noland noted that the department’s budget is balanced.

Broyles said that used tires are included in the departments’ budget this year.

He said Martin Tire of Kentucky charges the county $90 per ton to dispose of used tires, and the state reimburses part of this cost at $70 per ton.

Truancy Program

Rene Devoti, who works as a truant officer for city and county schools, presented a budget for her department. Noland noted that 88 percent of the cost of Devoti’s program is paid by the school systems, and the county only supports her operational budget.

Noland said the county provides a $10,000 “supplement” to the Juvenile Court program, and that amount is unchanged from last year. A separate Juvenile Truancy program received $47,686 last year, and is budgeted for $48,064 this year. Noland said the increase will be made up by the school system.

Commissioner Betty Ruth Alexander asked about the cost of housing juveniles in the eight-county facility in Washington County.

General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Tom Wright said the cost is not cheap, at $150 per day, but he tries not to send juveniles there very often. He said juveniles accused of offenses typically are housed in Washington County for less than 72 hours, though he sometimes orders a youth to be held there for 24 hours “as a consequence” for bad behavior.

Highway Department

In making his request for the Highway Department, Road Superintendent Jones noted that equipment and labor costs have increased dramatically in recent years.

He said the department has pieces of equipment that were in use when he became road superintendent in 1990. He said these pieces of equipment are “practically worn out” and will cost $250,000 each to replace. He said the same is true of “boom mowers” at a cost of about $80,000 apiece.

Jones also noted that Greene County has been declared a federal disaster area three times during the past 12 years, with no increases in local funding.

He also noted that Broyles said last week that raises for county employees “might be”
at the 3.5 percent to 5 percent level. Jones said that if such raises are given to the Highway Department, “natural” revenue growth will not be enough to pay them.

Jones also said that two fuel tanks at the Highway Department’s garage must be “updated and upgraded” with above-ground units soon, which will also be costly.

The road superintendent said he is willing to speak to the full county commission regarding his request.

Roby Fitzgerald Center

Glenda Blazer, director of the Roby Fitzgerald Adult Center, asked for $20,000, which she said is “the amount we have been getting.”

The Center provides a variety of activities for people age 60 and older, she said.
Asked what percentage of the people who use the center live outside Greeneville, Blazer said it was once 60 percent, but that number has declined as more city residents attend.

Keep Greene Beautiful

Candy Adams, representing Keep Greene Beautiful, along with Jim Whitbeck and
Rebecca Cutshaw, president of the Greene County Partnership, asked for funding of $10,000 for KGB, the same amount as in previous years. “County funding plays a big part in our budget,” Adams said.

Adams said KGB worked with 7,250 students last year, and 55 percent of its activities took place in county schools.

Human Resources Agency

The First Tennessee Human Resources Agency, based in Johnson City, which received $5,122 from Greene County last year, asked for $12,400 this year.
Natalie Carter, director of family services, requested $12,000 for homemaker services designed to help people live in their homes who would otherwise have to move to a nursing home.

Last year, eight such Greene Countians were served, she said, and this year 10 are being served.

Rebecca Anderson said 447 people in Greene County receive nutrition help from the agency at two nutrition meal sites, Mosheim and the Roby Center.

She said 23,000 meals were served last year in Greene County.

Ann Shakel said 45 clients in Greene County received help related to a new baby, at a cost of $22,545. She said the agency did not ask the county for any help in providing this service last year, but this year is asking for $1,000.

Steve Ferrell, transportation director, said NET-Trans last year provided 15,000 trips to the grocery store and doctor for people who needed them.

Carter said First Tennessee Human Resources “lost every penny of state funding” this year, and said the outlook for state funding to be restored “doesn’t look very good.”

Boys & Girls Club

Scott Bullington, representing the Boys & Girls Club, said that agency received $2,850 last year, and is asking for $5,000 this year.
He said the agency helps “disadvantaged kids,” each of whom pays $5 per year to join if they can afford it.

“We absorb a lot of costs,” Bullington said. The club’s overall budget is $150,000. The town of Greeneville provides the club’s building and some maintenance, he said.

Nathanael Greene Museum

The Nathanael Greene Museum is seeking $1,000, “the same as last year,” Broyles noted. No one was present to represent the museum.

The request for the 17 community centers that serve as voting precincts was unchanged from last year, at $8,500.

Emergency & Rescue Squad

Marty Shelton, captain of the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad, asked for $5,500, up from the $3,800 the squad received last year.

He said the increase would be used to upgrade the pager system that squad members use.

Battle Of Blue Springs

Jim Allen, representing the Battle of Blue Springs Committee, asked the county government to contribute $4,000 toward the cost of the annual event. This was the first time the county has been asked, he said.

He said the requested funding would be used to pay for the cost of city and county 4th graders to attend the event on a Friday.

McCamey said he could recommend that the county contribute $2,000. Other members said the request would have to be considered later.

Watershed Alliance

The Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance is asking for $2,000 from the county government, up from the $1,000 it received last year. The Alliance cleans up creeks and promotes various educational efforts aimed at maintaining and enhancing local water quality.