The Greene County Commission will have a short agenda when it meets on Monday, and will hold a budget workshop when the meeting concludes.

The new fiscal year began July 1, but the county commission has yet to pass a budget.

County government functions are being paid for in the absence of a budget because the commission in June passed a continuing resolution, which allows departments to operate using one-twelfth of last year's total appropriations each month.

Party caucus meetings customarily precede the regular meeting, but this month no party caucuses are scheduled, and the full regular meeting will begin at 4:30 p.m. The budget workshop will immediately follow.

The budget committee has approved the county government's general fund and Highway Department budgets, but has yet to see the school budgets. Those budgets are expected to be presented at the workshop.

The budget committee has been told that the new certified property tax rate is $1.4987 per $100 of assessed valuation, and is recommending that the certified rate be adopted.

However, no resolutions regarding the tax rate are on Monday's agenda.

Last week's Budget and Finance Committee's action recommended setting the Greene County tax levies for 2008-09 at the "certified rates" set by the Tennessee Board of Equalization after the recent reappraisal.

Those rates are:

* $1.4987 -- virtually $1.50 -- on each $100 of the assessed value of taxable residential property for those living in the county outside the Greeneville town limits; and

* $1.3066 -- virtually $1.31 -- on each $100 of the assessed value of taxable residential property for those living inside Greeneville.

The reason for the difference is that the county tax levy for the County Education Debt Service Fund, which is proposed at $.1921 in 2008-09, is not paid on property inside Greeneville. The town levies its own property taxes and finances its own school system.

The "assessed value" of residential property is 25 percent of the appraised value of residential property.

If approved by the County Commission, the tax rates would apply for the fiscal year that began July 1 and continues through June 30, 2009.

The proposed rates -- which are the state-certified rates -- are lower than the rates for the 2007-08 fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2008.

Those rates were $1.95 per $100 of assessed value for those residing in Greene County but outside Greeneville, and $1.64 per $100 of assessed value for Greeneville residents. (In 2007-08, the levy for the Education Debt Service Fund was $.31.)

One budget-related resolution is on the agenda regarding tax relief for low-income property owners, and another is expected to be added during the meeting, to allow the full commission to vote on funding for Kinser Park.

The tax relief resolution, if approved, would give qualifying property owners tax relief equal to 20 percent of the level of relief already allowed by the state for low-income persons over age 65 who meet state guidelines. The county tax relief would be in addition to the state relief.

The county commission will consider a request for rezoning property owned by Michael and Carrie Roberts along Middle Creek Road, where they plan to operate a heating and air conditioning business. The property is zoned A-1 for general agriculture, and B-2 general business is requested.

A public hearing on this request will come at the start of the meeting.

The county planning commission unanimously recommended the change, against the advice of its state planner.

A resolution sponsored by Commissioner Bill Brown would, if passed, affirm the county government's' compliance with federal Title VI regulations. The resolution is needed for the county to continue to be a Three-Star community, which helps with qualifying for state and federal aid.

A related resolution states that the county has a five-year economic development plan in place. Such a plan was prepared for the initial Three-Star application, but has to be updated annually.

A resolution to establish the position of medical investigator to assist the county medical examiner is on the agenda. The resolution appoints Robert Sayne, who is director of Greeneville-Greene County Emergency Medical Services, as well as Calvin Hawkins, assistant director, and EMS supervisors Robert Pershing, Wayne Courtney and William Lane.

Also, Randy Harrell, president of the Greene County Partnership, has asked to speak to the commission.