The Greene County Commission’s Budget & Finance Committee on Thursday took a first look at the list of requests for county government contributions to non-profit agencies for 2003-04 fiscal year. The requests total $689,290.

No action was taken, but County Executive Roger Jones gave the committee his own recommendations.

Jones noted that some of the county government contributions are mandatory, and others go toward services that are so valuable that the county cannot afford not to help fund them.

But in general the county executive recommended not approving any requests for funding to non-profit agencies above the levels in the current county budget.

Jones also said some of the requests may have to be cut below the current year’s level.
No serious objections were raised by budget committee members, who appeared to agree with Jones’ recommendations.

The budget committee also approved a list of fund transfers within departmental budgets, and several proposed resolutions, before reviewing the list of requested county government contributions to non-profit agencies. (Please see accompanying article.)

Jones asked the budget committee to reconvene Thursday, March 13, at 10 a.m., to hear a report on efforts to implement a uniform pay scale for county employees, and possibly to vote whether to recommend the adoption of such a scale.

Departmental Requests Up

The committee also learned from Budget Director David Lawing that almost all county departments have submitted preliminary budgets with requests for increases — some of them “huge,” he said.
Jones said that the county government faces the problem of insufficient revenue even if departmental budgets stay the same.

He said that, in community meetings he had held Monday and Tuesday, he had told citizens the choice the county government faces is, “Would you rather raise the property tax or the wheel tax?”

(Editor’s Note: A similar community meeting was also held at West Greene High School, on Thursday night, and two more such meetings are scheduled for this week: one at 6:30 tonight at Greeneville High School, and another at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Baileyton Elementary School.)

Most people at the meetings have indicated that they would rather have the wheel tax raised, Jones said.

“The plight we’ve got to deal with, the revenue shortfall, doesn’t include any of these increases,” Jones said.

In addition, Jones noted that Gov. Phil Bredesen has proposed a 9 percent cut for state-shared revenues that are returned to counties.

If shared revenues were eliminated, it would mean that Greene County would have $272,000 less revenue from that source next year, Jones said.

Lawing said the shared revenue cuts would most affect the county Highway Department, followed by the county’s liability and workers’ compensation self-insurance programs.

Tax Rates Now Lower

County Attorney Roger Woolsey pointed out that, in 1973, the county’s property tax rate was $2.85 and it is $2.11 now. Woolsey said Greeneville’s property tax was $2.50 in 1973, but is $2.56 now.

State-required property reappraisals since 1973 have made a penny of the property tax levy bring in much more in both the county and the city, Woolsey acknowledged.

But regardless, he said, “Ours (the county’s tax rate) is 74 cents less, theirs (Greeneville’s tax rate) is six cents higher.”

“I think the county is doing a heck of a job managing” on what it has to work with, he added.

The new fiscal year begins July 1. For that reason, Jones said, the committee needs to work out a timetable for developing a budget that can be ready by then.

He said he and Lawing would develop a “tentative” timetable for the committee to consider.
Several committee members recommended having several “workshop” meetings for the full County Commission as the process goes along, instead of just at the end.

Contributions To Agencies

The first contribution request from a non-profit agency came from Greene County 911.
Jones said he believes that the $107,350 that the county contributed to 911 this year can be reduced next year, because 911 has “a healthy fund balance.”

Commissioner John Waddle Jr. said he believes 911 will be submitting a reduced request “before you ask.”

Jones said he planned to meet with the 911 board.

He said he does not believe that the county can reduce its $70,000 contribution to the Greeneville/Greene County Library, because its service is so important, and because the county government has “burdened” the library already by transferring many old documents to the library that it formerly had to store.

The $1,500 contribution to the U.S. Forest Service is a longstanding agreement and should not be cut, Jones said.

He also said that he believes the county’s $28,500 contribution to the Greeneville-Greene County Airport needs to continue, because of the economic importance of the airport, and its importance to many major local employers.

The Tennessee Vocational Training Center presented a request for $28,650, up from $27,000 this year.
Jones said this agency is “very beneficial” to the county, and its federal funding depends on the amount that the county provides.

Susan Arwood, its regional director, said the center provides services to 330 Greene Countians.
‘A Very Good Case’

Jones said, however, that most of the agencies making requests can make a very good case.

He noted that the Greene County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments is seeking $75,000, up from $60,000 this year, because its liability insurance costs have increased.

He said he would have to recommend $60,000 again, unless the commission decides to try to address its revenue problems in the fiscal 2003-04 budget through cuts.

Jones said he could not recommend the increase that the Greeneville Department of Parks & Recreation is seeking.

He noted that the county government has contributed $20,000 yearly, but this year $85,000 is being sought.

Commissioner Jerry Weems said, “Greeneville is paying more than we are (toward Parks & Recreation), and they should,” because Greeneville gets most of the sales tax revenue in the county.”
Jones agreed, and said, “Every time I bring my family to play ball, we probably stop and eat,” and Greeneville gets sales tax on the meal and any shopping that is done.

Though he noted that the recreation board is considering charging county residents a fee if the contribution is not increased, “my recommendation for the time being is, leave it at $20,000.”

Keep Greene Beautiful is seeking an increase, from $3,450 this year to $8,000 next year.
Jones recommended a $3,450 donation be ”the maximum,” in part because Keep Greene Beautiful gets a county litter grant.

He also noted that the Boys & Girls Club is seeking “a tremendous increase,” to $25,000.

Right now the club receives $2,850 from the county government, Jones noted, but it is trying to start transporting children to the club from county schools, something that he said is probably needed.

Despite this, Jones said, he could not recommend the increase.

Jones noted that the Nathanael Greene Museum, which receives $950 from the county, is seeking a $50 increase.

He noted that the Child Advocacy Center had requested an increase in its $1,000 contribution to $2,000, but he said he could not recommend the increase.

Similarly, Jones praised the work of the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad, but said he could not recommend increasing its $3,800 contribution to $5,500, as is requested.

The Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance has received $1,000 from the county government for the past two years, but has not yet requested any funding for this year, Jones noted, and he recommended contributing “zero.”

Jones noted that the “Battle of Blue Springs” re-enactment, which received $1,000 this year, is requesting $2,000 next year.

Jones said the battle re-enactment is “a good thing for kids,” and suggested that perhaps the school system can contribute. But he said he could only recommend $1,000, “if that much.”

Hotel/Motel Tax

Revenues collected through the county’s 3 percent hotel/motel tax are also included on the “contributions budget.”

Currently, half of the tax goes to organizations that promote economic development, and the other half to organizations that promote tourism.

Last year, a total of $153,450 was collected, and all of that money went to the Greene County Partnership, which has both economic development and tourism promotion functions.

This year, the tax is projected to bring in $160,000.

Jones said the County Commission “maybe made a mistake” several years ago in designating that the entire proceeds go to the Partnership.

Commissioner Betty Ruth Alexander asked if “a cap” could perhaps be put on this contribution.

Jones said this would require a change in the private act that set up the tax.

Waddle said his understanding of the current situation is that the County Commission must appropriate this money annually, by resolution, to groups that are capable of performing the specified functions.

Waddle suggested that the hotel/motel tax could perhaps be used to fund Keep Greene Beautiful, which is also part of the Partnership.

Weems suggested that perhaps the County Commission “should give the Battle of Blue Springs part of that money,” since the re-enactment promotes tourism, and possibly also give part to the Nathanael Greene Museum.

Commissioner Bill Moss said it seemed to him that they would qualify.

Weems said the county attorney should look into these possibilities.