Cheatham County approves multiple budget amendments, school notes; $4.5M school maintenance request fails
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Summary
The Cheatham County Legislative Body approved several budget amendments and interfund capital outlay notes on April 17, 2023, including $110,000 for EMS overtime, Solid Waste equipment purchases, highway equipment and school notes for district paving ($200,000) and student laptops ($470,000). A $4.5 million school maintenance note failed 4–8.
Cheatham County commissioners on April 17 approved a slate of budget amendments and interfund capital outlay notes to fund emergency medical services, solid-waste equipment, highway machinery and two school projects, while rejecting a separate $4.5 million school-maintenance note.
Director of Accounts Sandrine Batts presented the Budget Committee's recommendations and commissioners voted to transfer $110,000 from County General Fund balance into the Ambulance/Emergency Medical Services line to cover overtime and attendant costs. The motion, moved by Diana Pike Lovell and seconded by Eugene O. Evans, Sr., passed by roll call (11 Yes, 0 No, 0 Absent, 1 Abstain). The minutes state the transfer was to cover “overtime needed to cover shifts.”
The commission also approved Solid Waste/Sanitation amendments to purchase two pieces of equipment for transfer-station operations (a Kubota excavator and a track loader) and an AED for the Pegram transfer station; that motion (moved by B.J. Hudspeth, seconded by Bill Powers) passed unanimously. A General Capital Projects amendment of $62,625 to convert 25 light poles to LED at I‑24 Exit 31 passed unanimously, as did a Highway/Public Works capital outlay of $201,898.60 for two tractors and two rotary mowers.
On school financing, the board approved an interfund capital outlay note not to exceed $200,000 for districtwide paving and restriping and a separate note not to exceed $470,000 to buy student laptops for 5th and 9th grades. Both were presented by members of the school board and recommended by the Budget Committee; roll-call records show both measures passed 12–0.
A separate motion to approve a Capital Outlay Note Request of up to $4,500,000 for school maintenance upgrades—moved by Calton Blacker and seconded by Chris Gilmore—failed by roll call vote, 4 Yes, 8 No. The failed measure was recorded in the minutes with individual commissioner votes.
The meeting also approved administrative items including the surplus of various building-maintenance and highway assets so they can be sold or recycled and the purchase of two emergency heart machines for the courthouse at a total cost of $3,748.
What happens next: the approved interfund notes will proceed as described by the school board and the county’s finance offices; the rejected $4.5 million maintenance proposal will require the school board or county staff to return with revised plans or funding options if further work is to proceed.
Votes at a glance: Ambulance/EMS transfer — Approved (11 Yes, 0 No, 1 Abstain); Solid Waste purchases — Approved (12–0); General Capital Projects LED poles — Approved (12–0); Highway equipment — Approved (12–0); Districtwide paving note — Approved (12–0); Student laptops note — Approved (12–0); School maintenance $4.5M note — Failed (4 Yes, 8 No).