Overton Budget Committee Continues Looking For Cuts

Overton County Commission Chair Darwin Clark said the county’s budget committee is back at work looking at every possible way to save money.

A County Commission meeting scheduled for Monday postponed while the committee continues its work. Clark said one of the main goals of the committee has been to reduce the size of the potential property tax increase.

“They have been working on that, the lawsuit part of it, which was going to cost I think thirty-three cents to add to the taxes, and I think they’ve got that issue resolved where that won’t have to be a major concern that we don’t have to raise taxes because of that,” Clark said. “So I know they’re working on something with that.”

Clark said they are also adjusting the numbers for the raises being given to county employees. He said the budget committee will meet Wednesday to discuss the next options.

“Hopefully at that time they’ll come up with an idea or a proposal to get ready to bring back before the county commission at its next meeting,” Clark said.

Clark said he is unsure exactly how the budget committee is adjusting the county’s employee salary plan.

“I’m not sure if they’ve reduced it yet or they’ve left it the same,” Clark said. “I’ve not been given any information about that other than that they were working on it.”

Clark said that once the committee comes up with a complete budget proposal they will invite the other commissioners to a meeting and let all of them read and discuss the plan.

“Once that’s done, and if they can have an idea of which direction they’re going and they seem to agree on some of the numbers, then it’ll go be put on the agenda for the next meeting, for the county commission meeting, and then there’ll be a vote taken,” Clark said.

Clark said he hopes the new proposal will be both feasible and affordable for the people living in Overton County.

“Nobody wants to have taxes increase at all,” Clark said. “I don’t either. You know, if taxes get raised and it’s done through the commission, I have to pay it just like everybody else, so, you know, we’re going to try to do the work the best of our ability to keep taxes low and not have a huge property tax increase this year.”

Clark said he is hopeful that they will be able to finalize a budget before the deadline set by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office.

“We don’t need the state to come in and start setting up, running the county government,” Clark said. “Because if they do it’ll be controlled by them and there’s no telling what the state would do about if they had to raise taxes or not raise taxes, whatever. The state would be in complete control and it would be hard to get a lot of things done. So I don’t think anybody wants it to be under the state comptroller’s control at any point, so I think there’ll be a budget passed before the deadline.”

Clark said they can also get an extension on the budget due date if they need to.

“I think all you have to do, the county exec has to put a letter in writing to the comptroller’s office asking to extend it,” Clark said.