Overton Budget Approved With 27 Cent Tax Increase

The Overton County Commission approved its proposed fiscal year budget in an 8-7 vote Monday.

The budget contains a 27-cent property tax increase and a two-dollar per hour raise for all county employees. The commission faced an August 31 deadline to pass a budget. Commissioner Patrick McCurdy said without a commission-approved budget, the state comptroller would take over and cut discretionary spending.

“What is that? Number one is your volunteer fire departments,” McCurdy said. “If you talk to your insurance agent, see what your insurance is going to do if you don’t have a volunteer fire department in place. So that’s just the beginning. We’re making some tough choices, and we’re going to continue to make tough choices.”

Commissioner Lee Richards said he felt the budget was organized in a way that makes it difficult for the public to understand what they are doing and why.

“I’m on the budget committee,” Richards said. “All this put together is not my doing. And it’s not any of our doing. It’s the way it comes out. I personally don’t like it all put together. I think it all should be out there and explained.”

“It won’t be unanimous,” McCurdy said. “But we’re going to make some tough choices.”

Commissioners who voted in favor of the budget included Randall Boswell, Roger Carr, Darwin Clark, Gail McCowan, Patrick McCurdy, Robbie Melton, Gregg Nivens, and Donna Savage.

Multiple citizens spoke at the public hearing prior to the meeting expressing their opposition to the property tax increase and the two-dollar raise.