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Residents and commissioners spar over Greenback school track and budget committee recommends radio, opioid and assessment appropriations
Summary
At the Dec. 15 workshop, residents disputed the cost of restoring the old Greenback school site and adding a track; the budget committee recommended transfers and appropriations including $229,580 for radios, $241,868.76 from opioid abatement funds, and $8,800 to hire a vendor for assessment notices.
Public comment during the commission workshop focused in part on school facilities in Greenback and on budget committee recommendations. A longtime resident criticized the cost to excavate and restore the old school site and questioned a proposed $3.0M–$7.5M track, saying demolition work left foundations and utilities that will raise cleanup costs. "We tore down that school... now it's gonna cost $3,000,000 to take that stuff up because we didn't do our job back then," one speaker said.
Other residents defended investing in Greenback facilities and noted the commission is not the school board; the Board of Education makes school design decisions while the commission is the funding body. Commissioner Satterfield reminded the meeting that the commission funds bonds but does not design school buildings.
Budget committee items presented by committee representative Erin included: $4,100 from the fire safety reserve for tree trimming at the Stevens Lane repeater tower; $8,000 moved to wages in the planning office; a request to transfer $8,800 to contract services for third‑party mailing of assessment notices; and a recommendation to appropriate $241,868.76 in opioid abatement funds (including $100,000 to an organization listed as "Beauty for Ashes" and $141,868.76 for the sheriff's department). The committee also recommended $229,580 for Kenwood radios (40 units) to re-equip two fire departments.
Committee staff said the net effect would decrease the county general fund balance by roughly $234,480 and that capital projects recommendations included HVAC and window repairs totaling $18,968. Commissioners asked follow-up budget questions and scheduled related items for the next regular meeting.
