Putnam County Commission approves budget amendments, road additions and multiple appointments

The Putnam County Commission on an otherwise routine agenda on a date not specified approved a slate of motions including budget amendments to the county general fund and the general purpose school fund, the addition of Creekside Drive to the county roads map, ratification of mayoral and committee appointments, and a list of notaries.

Commission action matters because they change the county's formal records (roads), alter fiscal appropriations and fill oversight roles that affect county operations and services.

The planning committee moved to add Creekside Drive to the county's official road map; the motion passed on a voice vote. The fiscal review committee moved and the commission approved budget amendments to the county general fund and to the general purpose school fund; commission staff reported a roll-call tally of 22 voting yes and 2 absent for the county general fund amendment and for the school fund amendment. "We have 22 voting yes, 2 absent," said Mr. Sandler, a staff member who announced the results.

The commission also approved a trustee's request to appoint Jeff Jones as delinquent tax attorney for the 02/2023 real and personal property taxes, citing TCA 6-7-5-2404 as the authority noted in the request; that item passed on a voice vote. The nominating committee's recommendation to appoint members to the awards committee for two-year terms (to expire February 2027) and to fill an audit committee vacancy with Paul Swallows (term to expire October 2026) were both approved by the commission.

The commission ratified Mayor Porter’s appointment of Stacy Blackman to the E-911 Emergency Communications Board for a term to expire November 2027 and ratified the mayor’s selections for the 2025–26 budget committee (Ben Rogers, Chris Cassidy, Sam Sandlin, Virgil Bennett, David Andrews, Jonathan Williams, Dale Moss, Benny Fasento and Darren Wilson). The commission also approved a budget calendar required by state law; the county attorney/staff noted the calendar is an estimate to meet comptroller requirements.

A list of notaries presented to the commission was approved after a roll-call confirmation; staff again reported 22 yes and 2 absent. Road supervisor Randy Jones presented the official road list and road inventory; the commission voted to accept that inventory.

Most motions passed with no recorded discussion. Chairman/staff statements declaring outcomes were used where roll-call tallies were given. No item was tabled, and no formal votes were recorded as failed in the transcript.

The commission concluded by announcing upcoming committee schedules and thanking staff and volunteers for recent ribbon-cutting and public events.

Votes at a glance (motions recorded in the meeting transcript): - Add Creekside Drive to official county roads map — outcome: approved (voice vote) — mover: not specified — second: not specified. - Budget amendment, county general fund — outcome: approved — tally: 22 yes, 2 absent — mover: fiscal review committee (not specified) — second: not specified. - Budget amendment, general purpose school fund — outcome: approved — tally: 22 yes, 2 absent, 0 no — mover: fiscal review committee (not specified) — second: not specified. - Appointment: Jeff Jones as delinquent tax attorney for 02/2023 real and personal property taxes (referenced statute: TCA 6-7-5-2404) — outcome: approved (voice vote) — mover: fiscal review committee (not specified) — second: not specified. - Appointments to awards committee (2-year terms expiring Feb. 2027; current terms listed as Kathy Dunn, Kathy Veil, Wayne Neighbors) — outcome: approved — mover: nominating committee (not specified) — second: not specified. - Appointment: Paul Swallows to audit committee (term to expire Oct. 2026) — outcome: approved — mover: nominating committee (not specified) — second: not specified. - Ratify Mayor Porter’s appointment of Stacy Blackman to E-911 Emergency Communications Board (term to expire Nov. 2027) — outcome: approved — mover: not specified — second: not specified. - Recognize and approve official road list and road inventory (presented by Road Supervisor Randy Jones) — outcome: approved — mover: not specified — second: not specified. - Ratify Mayor Porter’s budget committee selections for FY 2025–26 — outcome: approved — mover: not specified — second: not specified. - Approve budget calendar required by state law — outcome: approved — mover: not specified — second: not specified. - Approve list of notaries presented — outcome: approved — tally: 22 yes, 2 absent.

The meeting transcript records no failed motions. Several items were explicitly described as not spending money (for example, the appointment of the delinquent tax attorney), and those were handled by voice vote or simple majority as allowed by county procedures. No additional conditions, amendments or follow-up reporting requirements were recorded in the motions' text.

The commission left routine next steps to staff and committee schedules; no new policy directives or studies were ordered in the recorded items.