White County commissioners approve road list, fee updates, budget items and contracts; one donation item sent back to committee

At a regular meeting of the White County Board of Commissioners, members voted to approve a series of resolutions and budget items covering roads, building-permit fees, a change to the county reappraisal cycle, several budget appropriations and an inmate-communications contract. One budget donation to a local animal-welfare nonprofit was sent back to committee for further review.

The most significant financial actions included approval of a $985,000 allocation from American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for water system improvements in the Bonnie Crawford district and a recurring $28,000 amendment to the 2025 budget to add a building codes inspector position. Commissioners approved adding a provision to the county retirement plan to keep employee contributions at 5% for employees who exceed the Social Security wage base, a change the county’s finance director described as a “housekeeping measure.”

Other approved items included an annual road list for the county superintendent, updates to the building-permit fee schedule to align with the 2018 International Building Code, a resolution requesting that the Tennessee General Assembly allocate half of the state real estate transfer tax back to the county, and a resolution setting White County on a continuous five-year reappraisal cycle beginning July 1, 2025. Commissioners also approved a five-year contract for inmate communications services (telephone) with no direct cost to the county and declared certain jail kitchen equipment surplus for auction.

Votes and procedural outcomes - Road list resolution (steering committee): approved by roll call, 9 yes, 5 absent. Yes votes recorded: Chris Brewington; TK Austin; Dakota White; David Cranford; Larry Daniels; Kyle Galt; Becky Golden; Roger Mason; Thomas Markison. Outcome: approved. - Resolution updating building-permit fees to align with the 2018 International Building Code (Resolution No. 8 of 02/2025): approved by roll call, 9 yes, 5 absent. Outcome: approved. - Resolution requesting the 114th Tennessee General Assembly allocate half of the real estate transfer tax to counties (Resolution No. 9 of 02/2025): approved by roll call, 9 yes, 5 absent. Resolution text notes Tennessee’s real estate transfer tax is 37¢ per $100 and asks the legislature to consider returning half of that amount to the county where the tax was collected. Outcome: approved. - Resolution authorizing a continuous five-year reappraisal cycle for property tax equalization beginning 07/01/2025 (Resolution No. 10 of 02/2025): approved by roll call, 9 yes, 5 absent. The resolution cites Tennessee law establishing a general six-year reappraisal cycle and sets White County to a continuous five-year schedule beginning 07/01/2025. Outcome: approved. - Budget committee package (Resolutions Nos. 11, 12, 13 and 14 of 02/2025): Commissioners approved Resolutions 11 and 13 and sent Resolution 14 back to committee for further review. Resolution 12 (the budget amendment to add a building codes inspector at $28,000 recurring) was separated for discussion and later approved by roll-call tally (6 yes, 3 no, 5 passed/absent). Details: - Resolution 11 (three components): state-funded EMS training supplement (about $13,000, nonrecurring), state-funded SRO training supplement (about $8,000, nonrecurring), and appropriation from surplus-vehicle proceeds to purchase a vehicle for a second SRO (amount described in the meeting as “hundred and 15 dollars” in the transcript). Outcome: approved. - Resolution 12: amend 2025 general fund to add one building codes inspector ($28,000; recurring). Outcome: approved (roll-call tally recorded in the meeting: 6 yes, 3 no, 5 passes/absent). - Resolution 13: capital projects—$985,000 ARP funds for Bonnie Crawford district water improvements (one-time). Outcome: approved. - Resolution 14: one-time $5,000 donation from general fund to Friends of White County Animals for spay/neuter services; motion to send this item back to committee for further discussion was approved. Outcome: returned to committee. - Financial management committee resolution to add Provision 2 to the county’s Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System plan to keep employee contributions at 5% despite Social Security wage-base crossover: approved by roll call, 9 yes, 5 absent. Finance director Chad Markham explained the change as a reporting fix and “more of a housekeeping measure.” Outcome: approved. - Notary appointments (list of appointees read into the record): approved by voice vote. - Resolution authorizing execution of an inmate-communications contract (Resolution No. 16 of 02/2025): approved by roll call, 9 yes, 5 absent. The county described the contract as a five-year agreement with no direct cost to the county to provide inmate telephone services; it was awarded through the county purchasing process. Outcome: approved. - Resolution declaring surplus jail equipment (Resolution No. 17 of 02/2025): approved by roll call, 9 yes, 5 absent. The surplus items include commercial gas convection ovens removed from service; the county intends to auction them in place. Outcome: approved.

Discussion and staff explanation Chad Markham, White County finance director, explained the retirement-plan provision by describing when an employee crosses the Social Security wage base and the administrative reporting issue it creates; he said the change keeps employee contributions at 5% and has a negligible effect on the county's premium rate. Commissioners asked questions about staff capacity for the proposed additional building-code inspector and about how the donation to the animal nonprofit should be handled, which led to sending that donation back to committee for further discussion.

Why this matters The actions affect county services (roads, building permitting, inmate communications), capital infrastructure (ARP-funded water improvements), and local tax administration (reappraisal schedule and a request to the state about transfer-tax allocation). The reappraisal schedule and the requested state transfer-tax allocation have direct implications for county tax policy and local revenue flows; the budget and personnel changes affect ongoing county operations and service capacity.

Ending Commissioners closed the meeting after a public comment period and an adjournment motion. Several approved items will be implemented by county staff subject to contractual and budgeting steps; the donation to Friends of White County Animals was sent back to committee for further consideration.