Rhea County Commission approves budget amendments, $15,000 rodeo sponsorship and TDOT bridge proposal
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Summary
At its March 17 meeting the Rhea County Commission approved a slate of budget amendments across county and school funds, allocated $15,000 from the hotel‑motel tax to co‑sponsor the 2026 rodeo, amended a Three Star grant for Morgantown Community Park, and authorized the County Executive to accept a TDOT bridge proposal for Harrison Avenue in Graysville; all roll‑call items passed unanimously.
DAYTON, Tenn. — The Rhea County Commission on March 17 approved multiple budget amendments, reallocated hotel‑motel funds for the county fair rodeo and authorized county action on a state transportation proposal.
Chairman Jim Reed convened the meeting at 6 p.m. at the Phil Swafford Building. Commissioners unanimously approved minutes from their Feb. 17 meeting and moved through a package of county budget amendments presented by Finance Director Ralph Beck.
Beck identified several corrections and reallocations, including transfers of payments‑in‑lieu‑of‑taxes (PILOTs) that had been posted to the wrong fund. "Payments in lieu of taxes for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 fiscal years were mistakenly deposited into Fund 101," Beck wrote in the amendment documentation and had the commission transfer those receipts into the appropriate funds.
Why it matters: the blanket set of amendments adjusts county, highway and school accounts to cover vehicle purchases, uniforms, law enforcement equipment and school facility maintenance without increasing approved levy rates. Commissioners treated the measures as routine and passed them by voice or uplifted hand votes.
Major actions and context
- Hotel‑motel allocation: The commission approved Resolution #26‑03‑19, allocating $15,000 from the Hotel‑Motel Tax Fund to the Rhea County Fair Association to co‑sponsor the 2026 rodeo. Commissioner Dunn moved the measure; Commissioner Thedford seconded. Vote: unanimous. The appropriation was recorded as a contribution in the General Fund amendment paperwork.
- Morgantown Community Park grant amendment: The commission approved Resolution #26‑03‑20 to accept a state‑approved Three Star grant amendment removing planned pickleball courts and substituting soccer fields and related site work for the Morgantown project. The county’s revised Attachment A lists site prep, pathways, drainage, utilities, fields, playground equipment and furnishings. Motion carried unanimously.
- TDOT bridge proposal: By Resolution #26‑03‑22 the commission authorized County Executive Jim Vincent to sign the Tennessee Department of Transportation proposal accepting Federal Project BRZ‑7200(36) / State Project 72LCIT‑F0/1/2/3 to replace the Harrison Avenue bridge over Roaring Creek (LM 0.72) in Graysville. Commissioners were provided the TDOT packet and a sample council resolution; the county accepted and returned required copies. Motion carried unanimously.
- Budget amendments summary: The commission approved multiple county general fund Amendments #75–83 (notable figures included a $160,641.14 transfer tied to misposted PILOT receipts, $38,300 for narcotics equipment for the sheriff’s office, and line reallocations for uniforms and fire prevention). Highway Fund amendments #7–9 and related transfers were approved to reallocate overtime and equipment budgets and to move $4,444.99 in PILOT receipts into the highway fund. School fund amendments (141 and 144) and Debt Fund 151 Amendment #1 accepted related PILOT transfers to school maintenance and restricted education accounts.
- Personnel and procurement items: The commission read Budget Committee minutes documenting an approved staffing plan that would name Kyle Argo as EMA assistant director and Kenneth Riley as chief deputy of fire prevention, with portions of Argo’s pay covered by a grant. The county also authorized cooperative purchasing (Resolution #26‑03‑24; Omnia Partners listed) to streamline procurement and adopted a recommendation to declare 17 outdated top‑loader dumpsters as surplus for sale, salvage or disposal (Resolution #26‑03‑25).
- Audit committee and school project note: The Audit Committee reported on corrective actions accepted by state auditors. The minutes state auditors classified a recent school track project as a construction project exceeding $100,000, which therefore required a bond; the committee accepted the finance office’s corrective action plan.
- Local operations: The commission adopted the FY26 road list supplied by the highway superintendent (a packet listing 578 segments totaling 444.06 miles and priority resurfacing by district) and approved consideration of a surplus firetruck by sealed bid. The body also added and approved an agenda amendment reallocating $10,000 originally earmarked for Old Washington Marina lighting to gravel, electrical work, trash cans, benches/tables and signage.
Comments and numbers from staff
Alex Fine, director of tourism, briefed the committee on hotel‑motel revenue trends and reported he found a local decline after contacting owners and state staff. "Statewide, economy and midscale hotels are down 4% year‑over‑year and the economy itself is down 5.5%," Fine said, adding that five of Rhea County’s 11 hotels are in the economy category and that local receipts have fallen compared with 2023–24.
What’s next
Most items approved during the meeting were implementation or accounting actions rather than new policy: staff will complete transfers, execute the TDOT paperwork, update grant deliverables for Morgantown and post any surplus sales. The commission adjourned after unanimous votes on all recorded motions.