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Houston County approves UT Extension reallocation for office improvements but rejects proposed staff stipends
Summary
After public comment and debate, commissioners approved a UT Extension reallocation to cover office flooring and supplies but voted down an initial motion that included a one-time stipend; an amended motion approving improvements but excluding bonuses later passed by roll call.
Houston County commissioners on March 20 approved a reallocation of existing UT Extension funds to pay for office flooring, paint and supplies but declined to approve one-time staff stipends that were included in an earlier version of the request.
The request, presented during public comment and revisited under new business, sought to shift money already in the current fiscal-year budget to cover a 26-foot office addition and related finishing work. "This is a request to reallocate funds already included in the current fiscal year budget. It is not a request for additional funding or salary increase," said Speaker 7 (Extension official), describing the transfer and saying the University of Tennessee would provide furniture and equipment after construction.
A resident who spoke at the meeting expressed concern about moving salary-line money into capital items and raised questions about transparency, saying, "I still say that tax money should go back to our coffers," and urging commissioners to prioritize county employees. Commissioners debated whether salary savings should be used to purchase and store flooring and whether the one-time stipend — described by Extension staff as a "stipend" rather than a permanent salary increase — was appropriate at this point in the year.
The first motion to approve the full reallocation, including the stipend, failed on a roll call vote. County commissioners then approved an amended motion to adopt the transfer for improvements and supplies while explicitly excluding the one-time stipend. Commissioners discussed options for storing purchased flooring and confirmed that, under current arrangements, the county's portion of the salary line in question would be approximately $10,250 if a vacancy were later filled.
The amended motion passed by roll call; no timetable for installation was set during the meeting. Extension officials said they expect to buy some materials now and either store them or move them into a different line item when the addition is complete and the new position, if filled, would start on July 1.
The commission did not adopt any change to payroll policy beyond rejecting the stipend in this vote. The amended resolution will appear on county records as the approved action from the March 20 meeting.
