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Carter County commission approves multiple budget amendments, including $150,000 for volunteer fire station
Summary
The Carter County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 13 approved a series of budget amendments and appropriations — including $150,000 set aside for a new Hampton/Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Department building (17–2–1) — and larger school fund allocations, while authorizing retroactive grant fee payments to the mayor’s office.
The Carter County Board of Commissioners approved several budget measures and appropriations during its Dec. 13 regular session, including a $150,000 appropriation to set aside funds for a new Hampton/Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Department building and multiple school and fund amendments.
In a contested vote, the commission approved a motion by Austin Jaynes, seconded by Isaiah Grindstaff, to appropriate $150,000 for construction of a separate fire department building for the Hampton/Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Department. The funding was to be set aside in a reserve account and come from American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds if permitted by the final interim rule, or from the Unassigned Fund Balance if not. The motion passed 17–2 with one abstention. Commissioner Mark Blevins questioned why the amount had risen from a previous $25,000 request, and Randall Jenkins urged that the money be secured.
The commission unanimously approved several other budget actions: appropriating $26,357.13 from the Unassigned Fund Balance to cover employee Christmas bonuses and an additional $1,964.58 for final bonus expenses for employees absent on military or sick leave. It also authorized a $2,050 bonus payment related to grant funds secured by the mayor’s office.
Major school funding items were approved as a package. The board adopted General Purpose School Fund #141 amendment #6 totaling $389,041.48 and School Federal Projects Fund #142 amendment #6 totaling $15,879,163.76; both passed unanimously. The board also approved a Head Start Fund #145 reallocation of $19,000 among major categories.
Other financial actions included approval of General Fund #101 amendment #6 for $140,704.40 (with $85,000 drawn from fund balance) and Solid Waste Fund #116 amendment #2 for $12,000. The board accepted $1,030 in monetary donations to the county animal shelter.
The commission also authorized retroactive payments of 2.5% of independently secured grant awards and 1.25% of cooperative grant awards (not to exceed $5,000 per grant) to be allocated to the mayor’s office bonus line; the board then appropriated $2,050 to pay bonuses related to the grant funds.
Votes at a glance - Hampton/Valley Forge VFD building appropriation, $150,000: approved 17 yes, 2 no, 1 abstain (mover: Austin Jaynes; seconder: Isaiah Grindstaff). - General Fund #101 amendment #6: approved unanimously (mover: Austin Jaynes; seconder: Mark Blevins). - School Federal Projects Fund #142 amendment #6, $15,879,163.76: approved unanimously. - Employee Christmas bonuses, $26,357.13: approved unanimously. - Transfer for Tweetsie Trail (Park & Rec): approved (see separate article on parks/transfer).
Why it matters The approved measures allocate federal, state and local funds across county operations, schools and community services and commit county resources to a volunteer fire department project. The motion for the $150,000 set‑aside was the only item in the meeting that drew formal recorded opposition, signaling differing views among commissioners about the scale or funding source for capital aid to volunteer departments.
What’s next Several actions reference ARP fund permissibility and contingency on federal guidance; the county will determine final funding sources when the interim rule is clarified. The commission also directed further follow‑up on procurement and implementation items that will appear in future packets and meetings.
