Knox County budget committee approves $21.1 million 2025 budget, boosts assessment limits

The Knox County budget committee voted unanimously to approve the proposed 2025 budget totaling $21,137,574 and a net amount of $14,051,638, and to transmit the plan to the county commission. The committee also approved increases to the county-based assessment limit (to $6,847,599) and the corrections-based assessment limit (to $5,648,856).

Chair Bob Due, who later said he will retire after about 40 years of service reviewing local budgets, opened the meeting and framed key fiscal pressures facing the county. He noted personnel costs as a major driver: "The county's personnel cost is almost $13,000,000 of a $14,300,000 budget," he said, and said those figures reflect labor contracts and rising costs for nonemployee personnel who maintain county facilities. "The challenges of hiring and retaining staff is still ongoing," he added.

The committee opened a public hearing before the vote. Pat Pohlke of Saint George spoke as a private citizen and commended county staff for efforts to limit spending, saying the county "has a wonderful team" that worked up to the last hour to contain costs. Gary Leishman of Rockport offered public thanks to longtime reviewer Bob Due.

After brief discussion, motions to approve minutes and to adopt the budget were moved and seconded. The committee recorded a 3–0 vote in favor of transmitting the budget to the commission. Separate unanimous votes approved the requested increases in the county-based and corrections-based assessment limits; each motion was moved, seconded, and passed 3–0.

The committee did not record detailed roll-call votes in the transcript; the motions were documented and will be forwarded to the county commission for consideration and any required formal adoption. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.