Blount County commissioners approve 16 budget and grant items, including sheriff opioid funding

The Blount County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 20 adopted a slate of 16 budget and grant items spanning law enforcement grants, county building upgrades and highway paving.

The measures were approved largely without extended debate; commissioners voted 18-0 on each item where a roll call was recorded. The package included acceptance of federal grants, reappropriation of opioid abatement funds for sheriff's-office use, facility upgrades funded from designated reserves, and a $1.5 million appropriation for additional asphalt hot mix for county road paving.

Why it matters: the approvals move federal and reserve funds into county programs and make budget changes that affect operations across several departments, including the sheriff’s office, highway department, county clerk and juvenile court. One public commenter questioned the implications of federal opioid funding on local budgeting and law-enforcement practices.

Key items adopted included:

- BCSO grant application (Item 1): approval to apply for a $200,000 Bureau of Justice Assistance grant to…