KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — The Knox County Commission met Monday, June 5 to discuss proposed changes to the budget to give raises to the Knox County Sheriff's Office.
At 5 p.m. the meeting started with a public hearing, where people who signed up to speak could share their opinions about the budget before commissioners hear from department heads. Then, at 5:30 p.m., they started discussing the new budget.
The proposed property tax rate did not increase in order to give deputies at the Knox County Sheriff's Office raises, as commissioners and Mayor Glenn Jacobs previously warned could happen. Instead, county leaders proposed implementing a $10 fee on people booked in prison to raise funds, and they proposed increasing the prisoner reimbursement rate from the state.
They proposed setting the property tax rate at around $1.55 per $100 of assessed value.
Knox County leaders previously said they would also explore increasing penalties on delinquent taxes and business taxes to balance the budget. The pay increases are expected to cost the county an extra $3.975 million, giving corrections officers a 27% raise and patrol officers a 12% raise.
The budget changes and raises passed the Knox County Commission on June 5.
"For some weeks now, maybe some months, the sheriff and the mayor have been on two different pages when it comes to compensation for our law enforcement professionals," said Commissioner Larsen Jay. "I'm happy that they were able to come to a compromise and show that working together they can find a way that's within our means, without a tax increase."
Sheriff Tom Spangler is happy, too.
"I feel good for the employees. Because that's what this whole fight, so to speak, was over — to make sure we take care of the employees," Spangler said. "We have got to be competitive, we've got to be able to retain the people that we have, we got to retain the experience that we have."
Spangler said Knox County Sheriff's Office has been behind other agencies in the region for several years.
"I didn't go to the commission and ask for something that was just outrageous. To me, this is not outrageous, because it helps us tremendously," he said.
In total, Knox County's budget is more than $1 billion large. There is $222,353,020 in its general fund, according to the proposal to be discussed Monday. Funds for the "patrol and cops universal" department make up the biggest expense of that fund, at a proposed $88.9 million. The next largest expense in the general fund is the "correctional facility and batterer's treat." department, at around $10.3 million.
The Knox County Commission will also discuss appropriating around $7.4 million to "nonprofit charitable organizations and chambers of commerce" in Knox County. The Knoxville Chamber is expected to get around $1.27 million, and around $4.2 million is expected to go to Visit Knoxville.
Big Brothers and Big Sisters of East Tennessee are expected to get $9,500 from that fund, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley is expected to get around $15,000. The East Tennessee Economic Development Agency is expected to get $100,000, and so is the Helen Ross McNabb Center.