Property Tax Levy,

Building Code

Also On Agenda

By TOM YANCEY

Staff Writer

The Greene County Commission's agenda on Monday includes the $82.63 million proposed 2008-09 county budget, a pending $1.4987 property tax levy, and adoption of a county building code.

A public hearing on the budget for fiscal 2008-09 will begin the commission's workday at 9 a.m. Monday. All commissioners have been encouraged to attend the public hearing, which will be held in the upstairs courtroom of the courthouse.

The current fiscal year began July 1, without a budget in place. County government departments are operating under a "continuing resolution" which allows spending of one-twelfth of the department's annual budget each month, with no capital projects.

The county government can operate this way without penalty through the end of September, according to state law.

No party caucus meetings are scheduled Monday. The regular commission meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m.

Tax Levy Resolution

The resolution to set the tax levy is the first on Monday's agenda.

The total levy for property outside the city limits of Greeneville is $1.4987 per $100 of assessed valuation, according to the resolution. This is the same levy set by the state Board of Equalization after the five-year reappraisal of county property. Last year's "outside" rate was $2.11.

The total county levy for property inside Greeneville is $1.3066 in the new budget. Of this total "inside" levy, $0.5015 is to be allocated to the general fund, $0.1287 to the Highway Department, $0.5534 to the General Purpose School Fund, $0.365 to general debt service, $0.025 to the Self-Insurance Fund (which covers liability and buildings), and $0.0615 to the Solid Waste Program.

Property owners outside of Greeneville also are taxed for constructing county schools. (Last year, 25 cents of the $2.11 property tax rate went to fund school construction.) This year's levy of $0.1921 goes into the Education Debt Service Fund, and when combined with the $1.3066 equals the $1.4987 "outside" rate.

Appropriation Figures

The next resolution on the agenda is related to appropriations. It includes summaries for the $21.3 million General Fund appropriations, the $2.15 million Solid Waste budget, the $1.67 million workers compensation and liability fund; the almost $5.9 million Highway/Public Works fund, the $1.8 million General Debt Service Fund, the $2.5 million Education Debt Service Fund, the $42.6 million General Purpose School Fund, and the $4.2 million Cafeteria Fund.

The resolution also includes various provisions required by state law related to the annual budget.

The third resolution lists the county government's contributions to non-profit agencies, a total of $674,471.

The largest of these contributions, $178,842, goes to the Greene County Partnership, with half of that amount allocated for economic development and half for tourism promotion.

The next largest amount is the county government's $96,615 appropriation to 911, which also receives funding from Greeneville and from a surcharge on telephone bills, including cell phones.

The next largest is the annual contribution of $89,604 to the county's volunteer fire departments, to cover liability insurance, followed by $84,500 contributed to the Greeneville-Greene County Public Library.

The county will also contribute $32,500 to the Tennessee Vocational Training Center, $31,000 toward operation of the Greeneville Municipal Airport, another $30,000 to Greeneville Parks & Recreation, and $30,000 to Kinser Park, $23,410 to Frontier Health (Nolichuckey Mental Health), and $20,000 to the Roby Adult Center.

The Boys & Girls Club is to receive $12,500 the First Tennessee Human Resource Agency is to receive $12,000, and the Nathanael Greene Museum is to receive $7,500.

The Community Ministries Food Bank is to receive $5,000, the first time the county has contributed directly to this agency. All of the other contributions are for smaller amounts.

Asphalt Money

Another budget-related resolution would authorize the county government to issue $390,000 in capital outlay notes, to benefit the county's Highway Department.

Passage of the budget as a whole must preceed passage of this resolution, which is to be funded from the General Debt Service Fund and repaid in six months. The resolution is recommended by the budget committee.

The need for asphalt for patching and paving county roads far exceeds the amount budgeted for the county Highway Department, and this resolution is an attempt by the committee and commission to partially close that gap in a tight budget year, without raising taxes.

Building Code

The Greene County Commission also is expected to act Monday on a resolution that, if approved, would adopt the 2006 International Building Code and its residential appendix for this county.

Greeneville already uses the code, which is a comprehensive list of safe building practices and specifications. The code is in wide use throughout the U.S., and has evolved over decades. The 2006 version is the one most commonly in use.

The resolution references state law as to how the code is to be adopted.

A county committee studying the code has been meeting nearly every month for more than a year and has recommended adoption.

The resolution notes that the county's building and zoning office will be in charge of enforcing the code, and further designates that office as the Department of Building Safety. One employee in that office, Tim Tweed, is in the process of becoming certified as a building-code inspector.

The resolution makes no mention of fees related to a building code.

Rezoning Request

The Greene County Commission will also be asked to consider a rezoning request from William and Maryann Wayman, who have asked that property they own near the intersection of Baileyton Road and Crumley Road be rezoned from A-1, which permits general agricultural uses, to B2, so that they can operate an auto-repair business.

Workhouse Naming

A resolution to officially name the county's workhouse is also on the agenda. The resolution notes that when the facility was built in 2002 it was not formally named, though it has always been referred to as the Greene County Workhouse.

If approved, the resolution would make the official name the Greene County Workhouse/Annex.