Claiborne County mayor updates commission on ARPA planning and local COVID-19 figures; trustee files FY2020-21 financial report

County Mayor Joe Brooks updated the Claiborne County Commission on Sept. 20, 2021, saying county staff and the finance office are participating in American Rescue Plan Act webinars through Nov. 17 to develop a plan for ARPA funds and asking commissioners to identify priorities in their districts.

Brooks also reported local COVID-19 metrics as of Sept. 17: 429 active cases, 104 hospitalizations and 80 deaths. He told the commission that any workplace mandates tied to federal or state rules would be regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and would require annual reporting to remain in compliance.

The County Trustee submitted the annual financial report for the fiscal year that ran July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, for commissioners’ information. The trustee’s summary lists total receipts of $78,031,883.50 and disbursements of $73,393,241.03, with ending fund balances totaling $15,799,632.19. The report includes fund-level balances (for example, General Fund activity and school fund activity) and a property-tax summary showing current-year collections of $13,482,248.43.

No formal action was requested or taken on the trustee’s report. Mayor Brooks asked commissioners to review local needs that could be considered in the ARPA spend plan and noted that the county and finance director will continue attending informational sessions through mid-November.

The commission recessed after the reports and proceeded to routine agenda resolutions later in the meeting.