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Resident questions Hawkins County 911 funding; vice mayor warns a tax increase would be needed
Summary
Resident Hannah Sawyer asked the Surgoinsville board where it stands on Hawkins County 911's funding request. Vice Mayor Collier said he had spoken with other local officials, was speaking for himself, and estimated the request would require about a 15–16¢ property tax increase (one cent yields roughly $3,300), with further talks scheduled the next day.
During the May 11, 2026 Surgoinsville BMA meeting, resident Hannah Sawyer told the board she lives on Main Street and asked what position the town had taken regarding Hawkins County 911's funding request and who was representing the town in those talks.
Vice Mayor Collier said he had spoken with the Mount Carmel town administrator and several Hawkins County commissioners but clarified he was speaking for himself, not the full board. Collier estimated that one penny of property tax brings approximately $3,300 under the FY2026 budget and said meeting the 911 funding request would require a roughly 15- to 16-cent tax increase, which he characterized as unfair to Surgoinsville residents. He said a meeting among towns, Hawkins County and Hawkins County 911 was scheduled the following morning at 10 a.m. and that, if unresolved, Surgoinsville would need to develop a plan and consult legal counsel.
Mayor Merrell Graham said he agreed with Vice Mayor Collier's remarks. The minutes do not record any motion or vote on Hawkins County 911 funding at this meeting.
Why it matters: the funding request could affect local property taxes and municipal contributions to county services; the board recorded the concern and scheduled intergovernmental talks but took no formal action in the minutes.
The minutes do not contain direct verbatim quotations of Sawyer or Collier; this article paraphrases the statements as summarized in the town's minutes.
