Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Meeting Summary topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rhea County commissioners approve multiple budget amendments, surplus declarations and service agreements
Summary
Following a workshop, the Rhea County Commission on May 12 approved several budget amendments across county, solid waste, highway and school funds; declared equipment and vehicles surplus (including a travel trailer to be donated to the Chattanooga Bomb Squad); authorized mental-health transport agreements; approved retirement and transfer of police dog "Gator"; and approved three notary bonds.
The Rhea County Commission convened May 12 in the Phil Swafford Building and, immediately following a commission workshop, approved a package of routine financial and administrative measures.
Chairman Jim Reed opened the meeting and the commission approved the minutes of its April 21, 2026 meeting after Commissioner Cashman moved and Commissioner Dunn seconded the motion; the minutes were adopted by uplifted-hand vote. The commission then approved a series of budget amendments: Amendments #98–#103 to Fund 101 (county general budget), Amendment #8 to Fund 116 (Solid Waste), Amendment #14 to Fund 131 (Highway) and Amendment #20 to Fund 141 (School). Each amendment was moved and seconded as recorded in the minutes and carried (recorded as "VOTED: ALL; NAY: NONE; ABSENT: THEDFORD").
Commissioner Cashman moved and Commissioner Ellis seconded that the commission read several committee minutes into the record, including the Rhea Medical Center Board of Directors (March), Rhea County Budget Committee (February and March) and the Rhea County 911 Emergency Communications District Board (February); that motion carried as recorded.
On resolutions, the panel approved Resolution #26-05-42 to declare a 2007 Vision travel trailer surplus and authorize its donation to the Chattanooga Bomb Squad. The commission also approved Resolution #26-05-43, declaring certain Sheriff's Department vehicles and parts surplus and authorizing disposal by public auction, and Resolution #26-05-44 authorizing execution of agreements for mental-health patient transport services. Each resolution was approved after a motion and second and recorded as carried with no recorded opposing votes.
The commission also approved Resolution #26-05-45 to waive the county purchasing rules in order to authorize retirement of police service dog "Gator" and to approve transfer of ownership to Sgt. Jesse Ailey. The minutes record the motion was moved by Commissioner Stephens and seconded by Commissioner Welch and carried with Thedford absent.
Commissioner Dunn moved and Commissioner Ellis seconded approval of bonds for three individuals to serve as notaries public—Melissa D. Case, Candace Dallas and Patrick Drake Newby—and the motion carried. The meeting adjourned on a motion by Commissioner Cashman, seconded by Commissioner Stephens and approved by Chairman Reed.
Votes and formal outcomes are recorded in the meeting minutes as listed (for each listed motion: "VOTED: ALL; NAY: NONE; ABSENT: THEDFORD"). The minutes indicate routine administrative business and no substantive debate or public testimony on the recorded items.
The commission did not record separate roll-call tallies by individual voting member in these minutes; the minutes list attendees and note Commissioner Thedford as absent for the recorded votes. Any additional documentation (such as the referenced amendment pages or the full text of the resolutions and agreements) was noted as following in the meeting packet but is not included in the minutes excerpt.
