Budget committee trims school capital contingency to $100,000 and forwards resolution to commission

The Blount County Budget Committee voted unanimously to amend and approve Resolution 25-03-006, reducing a requested $300,000 appropriation for school capital contingency to $100,000 and forwarding the amended resolution to the county commission.

Committee members and staff debated whether the full $300,000 was necessary before the fiscal year ends July 1. Commissioner Kaylor questioned the need to request an additional $300,000 when "there's roughly $44,000 remaining in that line item," a figure provided by county staff member Mister Baldwin. Baldwin said "there could be, a hundred dollars or so encumbered, but the majority of it is available."

Mister Dukes, speaking for the schools, said the additional appropriation was requested proactively to avoid project delays caused by mid-year change orders. He told the committee: "The reason why we're asking for it now is just in case there is something that occurs between now and June 3 or, actually, it would be July the July before the next iteration of the 300,000 would be requested. So if there's something, that occurs between then between now and then, we don't want to delay the project." Dukes added that funds not spent in the fiscal year would revert to fund balance on July 1.

Kaylor moved to amend the request from $300,000 to $100,000. Commissioner Anderson seconded the amendment. After additional brief discussion about prior practice and whether a standing $300,000 contingency had been an automatic allocation, the committee voted 5-0 to approve the amendment. The committee then voted 5-0 to send the amended resolution to the full commission. The meeting record shows the motion to send the amended resolution was made by Commissioner Kaylor and seconded by Miss Hannam.

Committee members also raised procedural questions about how contingency funds were handled and whether a future request could be brought at a subsequent meeting if an urgent need arose. Mister Dukes said staff could return with a specific request if necessary but favored the proactive appropriation to avoid project delays.

The budget committee took no further substantive action and adjourned after completing the agenda.