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EDC reports rise in unemployment; county receives housing study and approves $138,834.85 tax write-off
Summary
EDC staff told the Giles County Commission January unemployment rose to 4.4% after a state labor-force adjustment, the county received a housing study estimating a five-year need for about 727 new housing units, and the commission approved a $138,834.85 write-off of long-uncollected taxes.
The Giles County Economic Development staff reported a jump in the county unemployment rate for January — an increase tied to an annual labor-force adjustment in state data — and presented a housing study that estimates the county will need about 727 additional housing units over the next five years.
At the meeting, the EDC director said recent state data showed January unemployment at 4.4% after an annual adjustment reduced the county’s estimated labor force. The director said he had asked the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development to verify the drop and noted local manufacturers had modestly reduced headcounts.
The housing study, produced by Next Move (referred to in the presentation), combined survey responses (about 300 respondents, including more than 50 UT Southern students) and local demographics. The study concluded Giles County will need roughly 727 additional housing units over five years, including roughly 270 units priced between $200,000 and $300,000 and a similar-sized group in the $300,000–$400,000 tier.
EDC staff also reported on a site-development grant bid opening: three bids came in, ranging from approximately $490,000 to just under $800,000. The county’s engineer will tabulate bids and forward a recommendation to the state; work on the chosen bid could be completed in about three months after award, weather permitting.
Commissioners also heard about a 127-acre tract in the Danspear Industrial Park South that may be unsuitable for heavy industrial development and could be considered for an outdoor recreation project. County staff said Savannah Jenkins, public health educator at the Giles County Health Department, alerted them to a Tennessee Department of Health grant that offers up to $50,000 for planning and assessment and up to $80,000 for design/construction with no local match; a letter of intent is due April 15.
On finance matters, the commission unanimously approved a new Financial Management Policy and Procedures item that formalizes how the county handles delinquent properties. The commission later approved Resolution 2025-15, which documents the write-off of $138,834.85 in uncollected taxes that are over the statutory collection period; a county official said the trustee and collection attorneys had made collection efforts and the write-off cleans up older years (the amounts covered 1995–2011 in a one-time cleanup), and future write-offs will be handled annually.
One county staff member said the statute prohibits collection of taxes after 10 years and that the trustee continues collection efforts up to the statutory limit.
No further action was taken on the housing study beyond distribution of the report to commissioners; the EDC director said a copy could be provided on request.
