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Rhea County Commission approves surplus donations, equipment sales, budget amendments, K9 retirement and solid‑waste truck purchases
Summary
The commission approved donating a 2007 mobile command trailer to the Chattanooga Bomb Squad, declared several sheriff's vehicles surplus for auction, passed multiple budget amendments, authorized the retirement and transfer of K9 Gator to his handler Sergeant Jesse Haley, and approved a solid‑waste equipment purchase (a $598,088 hand‑carried amendment).
At its May 12, 2026 meeting, the Rhea County Commission approved a package of routine operational and budget actions, including surplus declarations, budget amendments, equipment purchases, and the retirement of a longtime police service dog.
The commission approved a resolution to declare a 2007 Vision trailer surplus and donate it to the Chattanooga Bomb Squad for training purposes. The commission also approved declaring multiple vehicles and parts from the sheriff's department as surplus and authorizing disposal by public auction; the items listed included multiple Dodge Chargers, Ford Explorers, and two 2006 Yamaha 200‑hp outboard motors.
On budget matters, the commission approved several amendments across funds. The county general fund received an amendment of $1,212.88 from the county clerk reserve; an amendment of $1,372.38 was approved for SRO reimbursement from schools; an amendment of $5,570.78 was approved to cover overtime for an extra 911 operator during a festival; and other amendments to juvenile services and other lines were presented and approved as recommended by the budget committee. Several line items in the transcript were poorly formatted; where amounts were unclear in the record staff should be consulted for the official journal.
In a hand‑carried amendment under the solid‑waste fund, the commission approved allocating $598,088 to purchase a 2027 Max Terapro front loader and a 2027 Max roll‑off hoist to replace aging trucks.
The commission also unanimously approved a resolution waiving purchase rules and authorizing the retirement of K9 Gator, a 10‑year‑old Dutch Shepherd, and the transfer of ownership to Sergeant Jesse Haley in recognition of the dog's service and the bond with its handler.
All routine minutes and committee minutes presented were read into the record and approved. The meeting concluded with housekeeping discussion about reducing paper in agenda packets and announcements about upcoming training and meetings.
Votes recorded in the meeting minutes showed roll‑call approval for the listed items; for specific line‑item budget figures and official roll‑call tallies refer to the county minutes and clerk's record.
