Oak Ridge council acting as emergency communications board adopts 2024 and 2025 budgets

At a meeting acting as the Oak Ridge Emergency Communications District board, council members approved two resolutions to adopt a retroactive amended 2024 budget and to adopt the fiscal 2025 budget for the district.

A staff member told the body the action was taken "at the request direction of the comptroller," saying the district's budgets should be adopted. A councilmember described the required adjustment process: "We have to adjust the budget line by line so that it matches what we actually spend," and said the process ensures expenditures do not exceed appropriations.

The council conducted a voice roll call after staff and the chair reported audiovisual problems. On the retroactive amended 2024 budget, the recorded ayes were Mayor Pro Tem Dodson, Mayor Gooch, Councilmember Gleason, Councilmember Hensley, Councilmember Hope and Councilmember Smith; the motion passed, six ayes, no nays.

The council then introduced the fiscal 2025 Emergency Communications District budget and approved it on a separate roll call. The recorded ayes were Mayor Pro Tem Dodson, Councilmember Gleason, Mayor Gooch, Councilmember Hensley, Councilmember Hoe and Councilmember Smith; the motion passed, six ayes, no nays.

A staff member clarified that the council would not need to repeat the action at the Jan. 10 meeting because the city council and the 9-1-1 (Emergency Communications) board are identical bodies and the resolution only needed to be passed once while the council was convened as that board.

Meeting participants also noted audiovisual interruptions during the proceedings; staff and the chair resumed the roll calls by voice and completed both votes.