Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Budget And Tax topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Claiborne County approves $12.34 million general fund budget and holds property tax rate steady
Summary
Claiborne County Commission adopted the 2020–2021 appropriations, approving a $12,341,943 general fund budget and keeping the combined property tax rate at $2.5777 per $100. The commission also approved targeted increases to nonprofits and community centers funded from undesignated fund balance.
Claiborne County Commissioners adopted the county's 2020–2021 appropriations resolution on Aug. 17, approving a $12,341,943 general fund budget and leaving the combined property tax rate unchanged at $2.5777 per $100 of assessed value.
The adoption followed a series of floor amendments approved unanimously by roll-call votes. Commissioner David Mundy moved to approve the budget; the motion carried 21–0. The commission approved amendments that raised the Animal Shelter allocation (Fund 55120) to $20,000, increased funding for Cumberland Mountain Industries to $15,000, and added $5,000 appropriations for each of three community centers (Arthur Community Center, Pleasant Point Community Center and Head of Barren Community Center). Several smaller nonprofit increases were also approved, including raising allocations to Stand in the Gap, the Quality Council and Speedwell Academy to $5,000 each. The amendments were funded from the county’s undesignated fund balance, as stated on the floor.
The budget resolution (Resolution 2020-066) sets out appropriations across county funds, including a $2,035,589 sanitation/special-waste fund, highway/public works appropriations totaling $4,009,165 and detailed school fund budgets. It also authorizes capital projects and transfers and specifies pay rates for county board and committee meetings. The resolution includes instructions about budget amendment procedures and distribution of certain revenues (for example, wheel tax allocations tied to debt service on the Justice Center).
Alongside the appropriations, the commission adopted Resolution 2020-067 to fix the county’s property tax rate at $2.5777 for the 2020–2021 fiscal year. The rate, unchanged from the prior year, was approved by roll-call vote 21–0 and is presented in the resolution with the fund-by-fund breakdown used to allocate proceeds to the general fund, school funds, sanitation, highway capital projects and debt service.
Commissioners said the amendments reflected specific community requests made before and during the meeting. The budget and tax resolutions take effect as provided in the adopted texts; the tax-rate resolution was entered on the minutes and is effective for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020.
The commission also approved Resolution 2020-068, which allocates appropriations to a list of nonprofit and charitable organizations (amounts listed in the resolution) and conditions disbursement on filing annual reports and invoicing. The nonprofits allocation was adopted as part of the budget process with the same roll-call outcome.
Votes at a glance: Resolution 2020-066 (Appropriations) — passed 21–0; Resolution 2020-067 (Tax levy) — passed 21–0; Resolution 2020-068 (Charitable appropriations) — passed 21–0.
