Benton County commission approves multiple budget moves, appointments and extends remote meeting authority
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Summary
At its April 19, 2021 meeting, the Benton County Commission approved a series of budget transfers, appropriations, board appointments and the extension of electronic meeting participation under Tennessee's Executive Order 78. Several school and sheriff budget items and an airport fuel appropriation also passed.
The Benton County Commission met April 19, 2021, at the Benton County Courthouse in Camden and approved a package of budget adjustments, appointments and procedural changes.
The commission voted 16-1 to adopt Resolution 20210419-01, extending electronic participation and remote meetings consistent with Governor Bill Lee's Executive Order No. 78; Commissioner Ronnie Hopper cast the lone recorded Nay. Mayor Brett Lashlee, sponsor of the resolution, said the measure encourages electronic participation "to protect public health, safety, and welfare in light of the pandemic."
On a related finance measure, the commission debated and then approved Resolution 20210419-02—authorizing general obligation capital outlay notes not to exceed $2,000,000—after defeating a motion to postpone and approving an amendment to remove position descriptions and leave only a name in one section; the final vote on the amended resolution was 14 Ayes and 2 Nays.
The commission also approved appointments and surplus property actions. By unanimous vote it appointed Stephen Stokes to the TRRD board for a four-year term (RESOLUTION 20210419-03). RESOLUTION 20210419-05, sponsored by Sheriff Kenny Christopher, declared two military-grade LESO trailers surplus and authorized their disposal by auction.
Several budget and grant items for the sheriff's office and the schools were approved: budgeting $16,800 from the State of Tennessee for sheriff POST training (20210419-06); $4,590.02 in miscellaneous sheriff revenues to vehicle, data-processing and office accounts (20210419-07); a $20,000 Amerigroup gift for school technology (20210419-08); federal and state allocations for COVID-related school duties totaling $32,087 (20210419-09) and $92,500 (20210419-10); and an $18,000 UTRUST grant for document cameras and staff development (20210419-11).
Other appropriations approved included a transfer of $2,000 within the Election Commission budget to cover board fees (20210419-12), internal payroll transfers of $95,900 in the sheriff's budget to cover shortfalls (20210419-13), an appropriation to pay an invoice related to a hotel/motel tax revenue finding (RESOLUTION 20210419-14), $30,000 from the unassigned fund balance to purchase airport fuel (20210419-15), and a $5,000 appropriation to cover invoices and COVID-related expenses tied to services from SCHAUS, LLC (20210419-16). The commission also approved a $11,450 transfer to cover cafeteria personnel costs (20210419-17) after suspending the rules to bring the item to the floor.
Votes at a glance: - 20210419-01 (extend remote meetings): passed 16-1. - 20210419-02 (issue GO capital outlay notes up to $2M): passed after amendment, final vote 14-2. - 20210419-03 (appoint Stephen Stokes to TRRD): passed unanimous. - 20210419-05 (declare LESO trailers surplus): passed unanimous. - 20210419-06 through 20210419-11 (school and sheriff budget items & grants): all passed as recorded in meeting minutes. - 20210419-12 through 20210419-17 (various appropriations and transfers): all passed as recorded; several were unanimous or near-unanimous per the recorded tallies.
The meeting ended after a brief —Any Other Business— session and adjournment by voice vote. County Clerk Wanda Malin certified the minutes as a true and complete copy of the April 19 meeting.