The Carter County Commission put the finishing touches on the budgeting process for the 2018-19 fical year.

During Monday night’s commission meeting inside the Carter County Courthouse, the commission voted through various resolutions that will have the 2018-19 budget in place before the Aug. 31 deadline.

First on the list was a resolution approving the appropriations to the general fund totalling $16, 234,831, which includes taking 11 cents from the General Debt Service fund to make up for the 2018-19 deficit (9 cents) and fund county employee raises (2 cents). The motion was made by Commissioner Sonja Culler and seconded by Commission Nancy Brown, before being approved 21-1 with Commissioner Robert Carroll voting no on the resolution.

The commission also voted, 20-2, to approved keeping the property tax rate at the current $2.47 per $100 of assessed value instead of the original proposed increased rate of $2.58 that was vetoed by Carter County Mayor Leon Humphrey. The mayor’s veto was upheld by the commission early this month. The 11-cent increase  to the property tax was originally put forth to cover both 2018-19 deficit and raises for county employees. Carroll and Commissioner Isaiah Grindstaff both voted no on Monday’s tax resolution.

Both of the above resolutions were approved by the mayor following Monday’s meeting, finalizing a controversial budgeting process before the Aug. 31 deadline set by the Tennessee Comptrollers Office.

Other Items of note

—The commission voted, 21-1, to use $128,053.72 from the General Fund fund balance to pay off school debt. Carroll voted no on the motion.

—Recently the county received $94, 702.12 from the State of Tennessee for unclaimed funds. The commission approved, 21-1, a resolution to reserve 20 percent ($18,940.42) of the funds. Commission John Lewis voted no on the resolution.

—To fund $600,000 for a single-point security system at the courthouse, the commission approved,16-6, to use $150,000 from the litigation fund and $450,000 from the General Fund unassigned fund balance to pay for the project. Commissioners Buford Peters, Robert Acuff, John Lewis, Larry Miller, Sonja Culler, and Robert Carroll all voted no on the resolution.

—Carter County Commissioner Timothy Holdren made a motion for the county to approve and adopt a Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The motion was approved 22-0.