Budget committee forwards $73,400 railroad crossing grant to full commission; school McKinney‑Vento amendments approved

White County’s budget committee on Monday voted to send a $73,400, 100% state‑funded railroad crossing improvement grant for the Franks Ferry Road crossing on the Caney Fork & Western Railroad to the full commission for approval. Director Markham presented the grant and asked the committee to recommend it be placed on the commission’s April agenda.

Markham told the committee the grant would fund safety improvements at the Franks Ferry Road crossing and that the award was fully state funded. “It is a $73,400 grant, 100% state funding,” Markham said. After a motion and a second, the committee voted by voice to forward the item to full court; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.

The committee also approved two amendments in the school federal projects (Title I/federal projects) fund related to the McKinney‑Vento program. Markham said both items had already been approved by the school board and that the amendments—$5,807 and $4,000—would move excess funds within the federal program so the schools could expend them before the fiscal year end. “The first one’s a $5,807 amendment, and the second is a $4,000 amendment,” Markham said. The committee made and seconded a motion to accept the amendments and approved them by voice vote.

The committee handled the grant and the school amendments as routine budget housekeeping and will transmit the railroad grant recommendation to the full commission for final action at its April meeting.

What happens next: The railroad crossing grant will appear on the county commission agenda in April for the commission’s consideration; the McKinney‑Vento amendments are reflected as committee actions and were approved by voice vote.