Pay raises, deteriorating gutters top budget committee work
Published 11:43 am Tuesday, October 11, 2022
- File Photo Carter County Courthouse
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BY ROBERT SORRELL
Star Correspondent
A sheriff’s department struggling to fill vacant positions, aging windows and gutters at the historic courthouse and a number of other financial matters were discussed Monday evening by the Carter County Budget Committee.
The committee met for the first time since this year’s county election, which resulted in several new members for the committee.
At the start of the meeting, members attempted to select a new chairman, however votes were split for Robert Acuff and Aaron Frazier. Because the men received the same number of votes, the matter of choosing a new Budget Committee chairman will be sent to the full county commission.
The committee chose Julie Guinn as its vice chairman, which allowed Guinn to lead the meeting.
Several county leaders spoke to the committee about low pay for employees, including Sheriff Mike Fraley.
The sheriff’s department has been struggling with understaffing at the jail, on patrol and in schools, according to Fraley. Since he was sworn into office, he has been able to move some people around and hire individuals, but staffing remains an issue. He added that patrol officers and constables have been assisting with safety at the county schools.
Fraley said he is currently short 25 corrections officers, 19 patrol officers and five school resource officers. One reason for the shortage is low pay, he said.
Individuals starting out on patrol are paid $13.80 in Carter County. In comparison, new Sullivan County officers are paid $17.64 and Washington County officers are paid $18.40.
Corrections officers in Carter County are paid $13.47. Those in Sullivan County receive $17.64 and Washington County officers are paid $17.81.
Carter County ranks in the bottom 10 percent of counties in Northeast Tennessee on its pay, according to data provided by the sheriff’s department.
Guinn noted that Unicoi County, which has a smaller budget and population than Carter County, recently voted to increase pay for new corrections officers to $15 an hour.
Due to low staffing, the state has warned the county it would decertify the jail, perhaps as soon as November.
“We still face the chance of being decertified,” said Fraley, who added that he is doing everything possible to alleviate that possibility.
If decertified, Fraley said prisoners would have to be transported to other jails, which would cost the county the lost revenue from state reimbursements.
The committee decided to meet twice a week for the next two weeks to work on a solution to help the jail. The committee will meet Oct. 18, 20, 25 and 27 to discuss pay for sheriff’s department employees. It will then make recommendations to the full commission.
Committee members also discussed the aging and deteriorating windows and guttering at the historic courthouse. The committee approved a motion to spend $1,127,500 to replace the windows and gutters, which must be custom made due to historic zoning. The full commission will take up the matter later for final approval.
Ron Kirby, the county’s building maintenance supervisor, said water is getting into the building and has been causing structural damage, including to areas of the building that had been remodeled in recent years.
“This is a historical building,” said committee member Donnie Cable, who noted that the courthouse was originally constructed in 1852. “We need to keep this building up.”
He added that replacing the courthouse would cost more than replacing the windows and guttering.
Work on the building will include replacing 113 windows, most of which are not standard size windows.
The committee is also recommending that $248,000 be allocated from the county’s unassigned fund balance for the Peters Hollow Water Project. Acuff said the project is ready to begin, and preliminary work has already been completed. He said the funds would eventually be reimbursed to the county by American Rescue Plan funds from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
Mayor Patty Woodby also said the Budget Committee should consider funding water for residents in the Laurels section of the county. She noted that 15 residences currently do not have water. That project doesn’t qualify for ARP funds, but Woodby said she has found grant funding that could be used to assist the residents.
In addition, the committee has recommended ARP funding be used to provide $150,000 to each of the county’s volunteer fire departments and $47,000 for Carter County 911 to purchase a mobile unit to aid in disasters and other scenarios.
