Bradley County commissioners approve wide-ranging budget amendments, including EMS ARP reimbursement and juvenile court renovation funding
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Summary
The Bradley County Commission approved a package of departmental budget amendments — nearly all by unanimous vote — that recognized grant and service revenues, reallocated internal line items and funded a $90,000 juvenile court renovation; commissioners also scheduled budget hearings for April 16.
Bradley County commissioners on Monday approved a broad package of budget amendments covering road work, public safety, emergency management, juvenile court renovations and several smaller departmental transfers.
The commission voted unanimously to recognize $58,938.65 in proceeds from the sale of road equipment and to accept multiple county roads adjustments after staff said auditors require the county to recognize larger revenue projections now and correct them later when final numbers are available. Chair opened each item, and motions were moved and seconded from the dais.
Several amendments involved emergency services. Commissioners accepted an ARP-funded reimbursement of $40,453.25 for EMS operations and approved $11,825 to vehicle and equipment insurance. Chair said the EMS amendments included a mix of reimbursements and checks received for services, and commissioners voted 5–0 on the items.
The juvenile court requested an itemized package that included $12,500 for utilities, $6,500 for equipment and a $90,000 line item identified for renovations and related premiums. Judge Morton said the renovation would address internal office and courtroom space issues and buy ‘‘a couple of years’’ of facility usefulness but not solve parking problems; commissioners noted the SPCA moving from a nearby site may free space later. Commissioners approved the juvenile court amendments unanimously.
The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office reported multiple increases in revenue and expenses, including a certified training reimbursement of $83,200 and a large, itemized grant recorded as $6,065,300 that staff said was allocated across salary and supplies lines for the 2025–26 grant year. Staff noted the grant term runs July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026; commissioners accepted the amendments by vote.
Other departments with approved transfers included the mayor’s office (utility and communications line adjustments), Southeast Community Corrections (internal transfers back to the general fund), the medical examiner (small office and outfitting transfers) and parks. EMA (Emergency Management) director Troy Spence flagged maintenance and HVAC costs at a facility the department vacated when it moved from the 911 building; commissioners approved those amendments as well.
By the end of the session, the commission had approved the full package of amendments for the meeting record and confirmed there were no last-minute items to add. The chair said staff will group services-rendered items for a future package and the commission will revisit outstanding open purchase orders in the full commission meeting.
The commission scheduled a consolidated budget hearing for April 16 beginning at 9 a.m.; commissioners identified eight departmental budgets for in-depth review, including sheriff/jail/workhouse, EMS, parks, assessor, law and schools. Chair and staff urged commissioners to review materials in advance so questions can be raised during the hearings.
The vote outcomes reported in the meeting were recorded by the chair as motions moved and seconded and — unless otherwise noted — passed 5–0. The commission adjourned the budget-amendment portion of the agenda and moved on to other items on the agenda.
