Knox County budget summary corrected to reflect larger increase; personnel and reserves flagged

County budget staff told the Knox County Commission's Court that a formula error on the budget summary page had underreported the percentage change in the proposed budget. "A formula for the airport did not carry forward," Kathy (S8) said. "So it wasn't a 9% increase when it was presented to you at 10:31. It was actually an 11% increase because the airport of $278,010 was not included in the total. Completely my error."

Kathy said the dollar totals previously shown were correct but the percentage increase on the summary page was incorrect because of that omitted airport line. She walked the group through drivers of the revised personnel totals, saying workers' compensation costs had risen substantially and that health insurance had come in higher than earlier projections. "We had a 66% increase in workers' comp," she said, and later described a health-insurance change that increased costs beyond prior projections.

Staff also reviewed projected undesignated fund balances under the proposed 2025 budget changes: corrections projected down to roughly 14%, communications at about 18% and the general fund near 15% — numbers staff acknowledged are below comfort thresholds the county typically targets. Commission members asked what could be done to trim the total and whether departments with close or split votes should return to present additional detail before the Dec. 12 public hearing.

Commissioners also discussed a county decision to absorb a 1% paid-family medical leave cost for 2025; staff said that policy will be revisited for 2026. Several members urged more department-level clarity ahead of the public hearing.

On several items the committee voted preliminarily to accept departmental budgets (finance, administration and debt-service items were moved forward); the transcript records voice votes but does not list roll-call tallies for all motions.