Clerk asks legislature to allow countywide penny "round up/round down" policy as Shelby County sees many cash transactions

Tammy Sawyer, General Sessions Court Clerk, briefed commissioners on a proposal to seek statewide legislative action enabling counties to adopt a standard "round up/round down" policy for penny amounts in cash transactions. Sawyer said guidance from the Tennessee Comptroller already allows counties to adopt such a policy locally but that a unified approach is preferable: "If we are going to have a round up, round down policy, the guidance ... is if it's below 4' cents it's 0; if it's 5' or higher, it's a dime," she said.

Fenton Wright, director of finance for the clerk's office, told the committee that Shelby County is heavily cash-reliant: without exact change, cash payors cause delays and sometimes cannot complete payments in person, which can push clients to online payment alternatives. "Shelby County is underbanked," Wright said, and that fact is why consistent county policy would matter.

Commissioner Brooks asked who would develop and implement a county policy; Sawyer said a countywide resolution would be required and that the commissioners and mayor would need to adopt it (local offices may not act unilaterally). Commissioners discussed audit implications and how offsets would be tracked. The committee voted to move the resolution forward for Monday with four ayes and one abstain.

What happens next: The resolution will be forwarded with a favorable recommendation for Monday's commission meeting; staff offered to provide the Comptroller guidance to commissioners for review.