City to hold Feb. 10 budget retreat

Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and her staff will present updates to the City Council, including a mid-year budget review and status reports on major city initiative from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 10.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held at the public works center on Morris Ave.

Anyone needing a disability accommodation to attend the budget retreat should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Stephanie Cook, at scook@knoxvilletn.gov or 865-215-2034. For an English interpreter, contact the City Law Department at 865-215-2050.

No extra fees from Knox Co Circuit Court Clerk four years running

The Knox County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office has again failed to turn over any money to the county’s coffers – for the fourth year in a row and the fifth time in the past six years.

In fact, the county – as it closes its financial books on the recently wrapped-up fiscal year – even had to underwrite the overall operation for 2016 to the tune of almost $80,000.

That’s because the juvenile court, which is under the Circuit Court clerk’s purview, spent more than the office brought in.

Now, top county leaders say they are troubled about the office’s lack of finances, but question whether they can step in.

“There’s always a concern, absolutely,” said Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. “If they don’t collect it, then the deficit is going to come from somewhere else. Either you raise taxes or you raise the base.
We’re kind of limited in local government. At some point it’s going to come from the taxpayers . . . it’s not going to magically appear.”

Knox County Commission Vice Chairman Randy Smith agreed, saying he, too, is “very concerned.”

“They need to look at aligning their staffing with the revenue streams,” Smith told WBIR 10News. “This is supposed to be at least a break-even entity.”

The Circuit Court Clerk’s Office is one of five county fee offices. These departments are run by elected leaders and are supposed to be self-funded from the fees they collect. But, they also are expected to contribute to the county’s overall bottom line.

For example, whenever someone files a lawsuit in the circuit court, the plaintiff has to pay an upfront fee of $186.50. An adoption carries a $252 fee and name change runs $186.50.

Those monies first go to covering the salaries in the office and any excess revenue is turned over to the county.

That doesn’t happen often in the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.

But, the office’s spokesman, Randy Kenner, said officials in the department are doing everything they can.

“I think the office is pretty well run,” he said. “I don’t think we have a lot of collections out there. We’re collecting the fees we’re supposed to collect . . . (but) there’s just not as much money as there once was.”

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

Knox County expects $2.2M surplus

Some 2,000 Knox County government employees and members of the Sheriff’s Office are set to receive a $500 bonus thanks to an expected $2.2 million in surplus revenues and savings as local leaders officially close the financial books on last year’s budget.

In addition, surplus monies will cover 400 bullet proof vests for deputies and $200,000 for the Knoxville Volunteer Rescue Squad.

The Civil Sessions Clerk will receive $70,000 for equipment and software maintenance and the Karns Volunteer Fire Department will pull in $75,000 to fulfill equipment needs.

The county also is prepared to give the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley $100,000 and the health department $135,000 for records remodeling and signage.

"By operating in an efficient manner, we are able to use these surplus funds for one-time expenses,” Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett said. “This surplus was possible thanks to the hard work of our employees, and I'm happy we are able to offer them a one-time bonus as a show of our appreciation.”

As the county closes its books on the recently wrapped up fiscal year, the administration says it expects between $2.2 million to $2.5 million in surplus for its general fund, which covers much of the government’s day-to-day operations.

The money comes from an uptick in tax collections and overall departmental savings.

The county plans to spend most of it on a number of items that officials say will benefit the courts, emergency personnel and the health department.

The county also plans to use some $50,000 of the surplus to build a park in Karns for those who are disabled and $282,000 at the Foote Mineral site in southwest Knoxville for a park and horse trails.

“Thanks to their work and a fiscally responsible approach to government, we are able to also better protect our deputies by purchasing life-saving vests, purchase needed equipment, make facility improvements and support various emergency services,” Burchett said. “And best of all, we've been able to do this without raising taxes and while also reducing the county's overall debt."

The Knox County Commission will talk more about the surplus during its meeting on Monday.

Rest of story HERE.

Burchett details $771.2M budget

Mayor Tim Burchett

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett presented his Fiscal Year 2017 budget proposal to the Knox County Commission this morning. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

The approximately $771.2 million budget proposal represents a $17.9 million increase – approximately 2.4 percent – over the current FY2016 budget. The budget plan provides $453.5 million for Knox County Schools, which is an increase of approximately $15.5 million over the current year. Since Mayor Burchett took office, Knox County Schools funding has increased by approximately $74 million.

Other notable elements in the FY2017 budget proposal include:

• Overall budget of $771,185,567 including schools and public safety
• General Fund Budget, including public safety: $176,170,991
• Public Safety: $81,119,990
• No tax increase
• $98.2 million Capital Improvement Plan, including:
• $63.7 million for Knox County Schools CIP
• $4.4 million for Schaad Road project, phases three and four
• $4 million for safety and capacity improvements at problematic intersections
• Funding for 42 new KCSO vehicles, body cameras and other upgrades
• $1.6 million for defined services contracts from General Fund
• $375,000 in support of the arts & culture community

The Fiscal Year 2017 budget proposal is available online at http://www.knoxcounty.org/finance.

During his budget presentation to the Commission, Mayor Burchett gave the following remarks:

Chairman Wright, members of the commission, thank you for being here today. Commissioner Smith, thank you for leading us in the pledge – and Commissioner Brantley, thank you for the prayer.

Before I get started, I would like to take a moment to recognize some of our guests in the audience, beginning with my wife Kelly…

Thank you all for being here.

I also want to take a moment to thank Finance Director Chris Caldwell and his budget staff for putting this proposal together.

After six years as mayor, you should all know by now that I’m not big on growing government, cutting ribbon on new buildings or taking property off the tax rolls. This budget reflects that same conservative fiscal philosophy.

Collections are up a bit and our revenue projections for the coming fiscal year look positive. While that is good news, this year’s budget isn’t without its challenges. The County’s share of employee healthcare costs continue to rise – to the tune of about $700,000 additional dollars this year, and the state is cutting the Hall Income Tax, which affects less than one percent of our state’s population, but will cost the county about a half-million dollars this year, and create a $2- to $3 million budget gap by the time the tax on investment income is completely phased out.

Fortunately, when challenges like these come up, we’ve been able to absorb the impact thanks to prudent financial management and the support of this commission.

That’s why I am once again able to present a budget to you that funds county services without a tax increase.

The total amount of my budget proposal is $771,185,567 dollars. That represents a total budget increase of $17,996,021 over the current fiscal year. Most of the increase—$15.5-million—goes directly to the Knox County Schools. That leaves a little over $176-million for the general fund budget, with the rest going to other departments and services.

Something I’ve talked a lot about is the county’s debt. My goal was to reduce our debt by $100 million by the end of 2017, which was an ambitious goal from the very beginning. Unfortunately, we are not going to get there.

That may sound like bad news, but it’s not. Through conservative, fiscally responsible budgeting, we’ve not only cut the county’s debt, but we’ve been able to do so while building four new schools, a new senior center and a state-of-the-art forensic center. And we’re still going to be able to decrease our debt by nearly $50-million by the end of fiscal year 2019—my last budget. When I leave office, Knox County and the next mayor will be in a position to continue reducing the taxpayers’ bonded indebtedness over the coming years, and to cut it by almost 83-million dollars by 2021.

Despite calls for a tax increase almost yearly, I firmly believe Knox County—and governments in general—get enough money from their citizens. We don’t need more taxes or to grow government. Some say a tax increase is inevitable and that not proposing one is more about politics than principle. They’re wrong. Without a tax increase, we’ve seen our revenues grow, and that’s thanks to a continued focus on economic development.

We have done a great job of supporting businesses in our community, and when the economy is good, they do well; and when the economy slows down, so does their business and they have to adjust accordingly. Government shouldn’t be any different. By living within our means we have avoided raising taxes year-after-year. I know our citizens appreciate that, and I’m certain our business community does, too.

This approach to government and a focus on high-quality service create an environment that encourages job growth and economic development in Knox County.

We’ve done our part in government. We have quality roads, good schools and a low cost of living. Our economic development partners have done their part, too.

Last year, I worked with Todd Napier from the Development Corporation and members of the east Knox County community to move forward with the Midway Business Park. With the leadership of this commission, we were finally able to rezone the Midway property so we can begin the process of growing needed jobs on the east side of our county.

We heard from the community and worked with residents to address concerns that are natural with a development the size of Midway. That’s why we pursued employment center zoning, rather than industrial zoning, because we want to see professional and high-tech jobs out there, not smoke stacks. We are committed to continuing public input opportunities as the development process progresses, and I look forward to the day when students graduating from Carter High School or Gibbs High School don’t have to go to Hardin Valley or out of Knox County to find a job with one of the great companies operating in our region’s business parks.

Also, thanks to our partnership with Mike Edwards and his staff at the Knoxville Chamber, as well as with the Development Corporation, last year we announced more than 2,000 new jobs coming to Knox County either through new recruitment or the expansion of existing businesses. That’s over $215 million in capital investment.

This includes new companies like Innovate Manufacturing, which chose to locate its high-tech manufacturing operations at Westbridge and invest $4.7-million and bring 50 new jobs to Knox County.

Or Lifetime Products, which announced a $115-million investment here and 500 new jobs.

Of course, we can’t forget the many local, home-grown companies that are doing great across the country and across the world, but that still call Knox County home:

Jewelry Television added 30 new jobs and committed to a $42.6-million capital investment, Regal Entertainment Group is adding 75 new jobs when they expand into their new facility, and TeamHealth will create 250 new jobs at a capital investment of nearly $12-million.

These are big numbers and big dollars, and many of the companies, most of which I didn’t even mention, do business across the globe. But the nearly quarter-billion-dollars in capital investment I just touched on doesn’t include the many smaller businesses opening and growing across our community.

Businesses like Archer’s Barbecue, Magpies Bakery, High Resolutions, Makers Donuts, and hundreds of other small and locally-owned companies are growing and thriving right here in Knox County. These businesses are the backbone of our economy, and we should celebrate their success, too.

We are getting this right in Knox County, and it’s thanks in large part to the work of this commission and partners like the Chamber and the Development Corporation, but it’s mostly thanks to the hard-working people of Knox County who go to work every day. Whether they have their name on their shirt and are turning a wrench, or are dressed in a suit and working in an office, our people are this community’s greatest asset.

With this budget, we’re going to continue to take advantage of this momentum by providing $1.1-million to economic development agencies in support of the work they’re doing.

One of the key drivers of economic development in any community is education. Companies want to locate in communities with a hard-working, well-educated workforce.

Right now, the Knox County Schools are entering a transition period as Dr. McIntyre prepares for a new challenge at the University of Tennessee and the Board of Education prepares to take on the search for a new schools superintendent.

My differences with Dr. McIntyre have been well documented. Howver, there’s plenty we agree on. Top on that list are our students. We may not always agree on the best approach or how to get there, but I’ve never questioned his commitment to our students, and I know he’s never doubted mine.

Dr. McIntyre, thank you for your work with the Knox County Schools over the past several years.

I’m proposing yet another increase in funding for the Knox County Schools. This budget includes $453.5 million for school operations, in addition to another $5.6 million for elementary reading, Great Schools Partnership and kindergarten intervention.

With this $15.5-million increase, Knox County will have added to General Purpose Schools funding by approximately 20 percent – or nearly $75-million—since I took office.

The “General Purpose Schools” fund is by far the largest piece of the Knox County budget, but it’s not the only funding directed for schools. When you account for all school-related funding – including free and reduced lunch and debt service—nearly $500 million of the $771-million county budget goes to our school system.

We hear a lot about increasing funding for education and per-pupil spending. You’ll see pie charts and bar graphs showing how much or how little Knox County spends on education per student. There are three parts to the per-pupil spending puzzle: State, federal and local dollars make up the number that gets tossed around so loosely. The truth is Knox County is near the top of the list in local funding per-pupil in Tennessee.

This year, the state began addressing lagging Basic Education Program funding with a “BEP Enhancement.” I am hopeful that more can be done in the future, but in the meantime, we have to be prudent in our operations here in Knox County. A good example of that –and it’s not very sexy – is the recent change to the Knox County Schools’ workers’ compensation program.

By bringing the program in-house and under Knox County Risk Management, not only will we provide an important benefit to all certified employees, including our teachers, but we also believe it will save taxpayers a quarter-million dollars the first year.

This is something that Risk Management Director Mark Jones, Commissioner Randy Smith, in his capacity as a risk management employee, and Evan Houser in the law department worked diligently with Scott Bolton and the Knox County Schools to accomplish, and I appreciate their efforts.

Finally, the education portion of this budget includes a three-percent raise for our teachers. They are the heart and soul of our schools, and their dedication to our students deserves our deepest appreciation.

Beyond the classroom, Knox County has some outstanding employees. They come to work every day in our senior centers, libraries, court clerk offices and other departments like engineering and solid waste, where employees there are constantly looking for ways to do things better and more efficiently in order to maximize resources and save taxpayer money.

Recently, I put forward an idea that really had its start with former Commissioner R. Larry Smith to create an employee incentive program that rewards employees for coming up with cost-saving measures and procedures that are implemented and result in ongoing, annual savings.

In March, this commission approved a resolution authorizing this program, which allows us to offer an employee a bonus of 10 percent of the first-year savings in such situations.

I’m happy to recognize an employee today who worked to implement a new program in our solid waste department that has resulted in real dollar savings on an annual basis.

About a year and a half ago, Recycling Coordinator Zach Johnson noticed that a lot of used carpet was being shipped from our county convenience centers to the landfill and thought there might be an opportunity for savings. By working to devise a program that keeps used carpet out of our trash compactors and out of the landfill, Zach’s idea saved approximately $3,000 in his department’s budget.

So, this morning, I’m happy to recognize Zach and present him with the very first Knox County Employee Incentive Program bonus.

To me, the best part about this is that Zach did all of this before an employee incentive bonus was even an option. He did it because it was the right thing to do and because he is a good employee dedicated to working hard for our taxpayers. And there are hundreds of others just like him coming to work in Knox County every day.

In the fiscal year 2017 budget, I am recommending a step-plus-1-percent pay increase for our employees, including our deputies, who put their lives on the line every day to protect us. This will make a total employee salary increase to 10 percent since I took office.

To our general county employees and to our deputies, I say thank you for what you do.

Overall in this budget, we’re including more than $76.5 million for the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, which comprises the majority of the $81-million Public Safety budget, and about 10 percent of the entire county budget.

In addition to pay raises for deputies, this year’s proposal includes more than $2-million in capital outlay for the sheriff’s department to provide 42 new vehicles, additional body cameras for our officers and to cover other needs.

Three years ago, we appropriated a million dollars toward the capital cost of building-out a facility to help keep those suffering from mental illness and addiction out of jail and to help them get the treatment they need.

This is something Sheriff Jones has worked tirelessly on for several years, as has former District Attorney General Randy Nichols, who continues working on this effort to this day.

Sheriff Jones and General Nichols, thank you for your efforts.

I’ve always said addressing this problem will require the cooperation of Knox County, the City of Knoxville and the state of Tennessee.

Knox County is committing $200,000 in operational funds in the 2017 budget for the anticipated Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center, and Mayor Rogero also included $200,000 in her recent budget proposal to help address this issue.

We hope to complete a new RFP process this year, but that will be a challenge, because we recently learned the governor did not include any state funding for the center in his FY-2017 budget proposal.

Addressing mental health and addiction shouldn’t be a political football, and it won’t land us a flashy Nashville TV show, but it’s the right thing to do.

It’s an issue that affects mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. It affects the homeless and the affluent. And it affects our military veterans.

I know of at least one recent incident that involved a Marine suffering from mental health issues. Unfortunately, his issues went untreated and led to an armed confrontation with Knox County Sheriff deputies. He was shot and killed after firing at officers.

This man had previous run-ins with law enforcement, and if a treatment center had been available to him at the time, he could have been able to get the help he needed, his death might have been avoided, and his mother may still have her son.

It’s about more than dollars and cents, but not addressing the problem of addiction and mental illness is costing taxpayers too much money, and it must be addressed.

Sheriff Jones can only use the tools that are at his disposal, and right now, the only tool available to him in many cases is a jail cell.

Without the Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center, someone suffering from addiction and mental illness winds up in jail, rather than getting treatment that could ultimately save their life or someone else’s.

I and my staff, along with Sheriff Jones and General Nichols, hope to meet with state officials in October to once again seek funding for this important effort.

Mental illness and addiction aren’t just issues concerning public safety, they’re also matters of public health, and our Knox County Health Department deals with these problems on a regular basis. However, that’s not all our health department does on a nearly $19 million budget.

Dr. Martha Buchanan and her staff work hard to provide quality healthcare for children and their families, expectant mothers and the indigent. But they also offer important guidance and leadership to the local medical community.

The Knox County Health Department staff come to work every day committed to providing quality care and to making our community healthier. Last November, your Knox County Health Department became the first department in the state to achieve national, voluntary accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board. Less than 4 percent of all health departments in the nation are accredited, so this is a significant accomplishment.

Dr. Buchanan, good work and congratulations.

This budget also continues to fund the outstanding services that our citizens deserve, whether it’s at our county’s veterans services office, one of our six senior centers, at a local park or when visiting the Knox County Public Library, where library director Myretta Black and her staff worked with the Library Foundation and other partners to raise $600,000 in private and public funding to digitize nearly 70 years of Knoxville News Sentinel archives. This effort is an important step toward preserving the story and the history of our community.

Thank you, Myretta, for the work you and your staff do.

Many of you in this room waited in line for hours to cast your ballot in the recent primary elections, which is why I’m proposing more than 400-thousand additional dollars for the Knox County Election Commission so Elections Administrator Cliff Rogers can purchase additional voting machines and to cover the cost of additional election officials in the upcoming November election.

But citizens can’t get to the voting booth, parks, libraries, senior centers or our health department without quality roads and infrastructure.

Since taking office, I’ve continued to propose increased funding for highway paving, and this year I’m committing an additional $1-million over the current year’s budget for paving. That brings local funding for paving to $3-million on top of approximately $1.6 million in anticipated state aid. This should be enough to resurface 35 to 40 miles of road – that’s over three times the number of miles we were paving each year when I first took office.

Maintaining infrastructure is a primary role of government, but good roads are also another way we can encourage economic development, and we’ll remain focused on jobs and infrastructure until I leave office.

This budget also includes approximately $600,000 dollars for various community non-profits, many of which are doing work Knox County would otherwise have to do.

Our Hotel/Motel Tax revenue collections are also up this year, and we’re continuing to support our various tourist attractions, historic homes, as well as the arts and culture community.

It’s not talked about much in county government, but Zoo Knoxville is an important community asset that sparks our children’s imaginations and sets their little minds to work.

I can remember going to the zoo years ago, and since then, I’ve seen many of the exhibits and amenities age. Recently, that’s begun to change, and Director Lisa New and the Zoo Knoxville Board are working hard to refocus their resources and improve exhibits and experiences for all visitors.

This budget provides more than $100,000 in support of those efforts. I am also very happy to announce that I will soon bring you a resolution outlining an additional commitment of $5-million over the next five years to go toward the realization of the new Zoo Knoxville master plan.

In a sense, Knox County’s Capital Improvement Plan is like our own master plan. It outlines the capital goals and priorities of the county.

This year, I’m proposing $98,220,000 for the total countywide Capital Improvement Plan, which includes nearly $64 million for Knox County School projects like the new Gibbs and Hardin Valley middle schools.

In addition to providing needed maintenance and upgrades to our county facilities, this plan also provides $10.5-million for various engineering and public works projects.

This is in addition to the $4.6-million budgeted for paving.

This proposed Capital Improvement Plan includes more than $4 million for safety and capacity improvements to some of our most problematic roads and intersections, including work on Canton Hollow Road, which topped our “safety priority” list in the 2015 Strategic Transportation Plan.

This C-I-P also includes companion projects in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Transportation at Emory Road near Tazewell Pike at the intersection with Fairview and Thompson School Road, as well as another TDOT companion project where Clinton Highway meets Beaver Creek Drive in Powell. Both of these projects will not only increase safety on our roads, they will also encourage economic development in the immediate area.

Under the plan, we’ll continue work on Schaad Road phase three and begin very preliminary work on phase four of the project, which will eventually connect Clinton Highway to Lovell Road.

While they aren’t part of this proposed capital plan, a couple of projects that will be wrapping up in the next year or so are the expansion of the Carter Convenience Center, which will get underway soon; and the widening of Parkside Drive, which will make this major corridor between Cedar Bluff and Lovell Road safer and encourage better traffic flow.

This budget isn’t sexy, but that’s the way it should be. We are committing our resources to the things government should focus on—safety, health, education and infrastructure—and we’re forging and strengthening partnerships in order to work more efficiently and to provide a high-level of service for our citizens.

One of the most important partnerships I have is with this commission. I’m thankful for your friendship, for your support, and for your fiscally-conservative approach to government.

As in the past, when I leave here this morning, I and my staff will begin a series of public budget meetings as we take this proposal directly to the taxpayers. I invite all of you to come to any of the meetings you can.

Finally, it is my hope that later this month you will vote to approve this budget so the people of Knox County can continue to enjoy the benefits of a fiscally sound, efficient government.

Thank you.

Burchett to present budget May 9

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett will present his Fiscal Year 2017 budget proposal to the Knox County Commission at 9 a.m. The presentation will take place in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building.

Those unable to attend the presentation can stream it live online at www.ctvknox.org.

Following the budget address, Mayor Burchett will host a series of public meetings to allow taxpayers to ask questions and learn about the budget.  The meetings are planned for the following locations:

MONDAY	TUESDAY
South Knoxville Senior Center 11:30 a.m. 6729 Martel Lane	Karns Senior Center 1 p.m. 8042 Oak Ridge Highway
Strang Senior Center 1:30 p.m. 109 Lovell Heights Road	Cedar Bluff Library 2 p.m. 9045 Cross Park Drive
Halls Senior Center 2:45 p.m. 4405 Crippen Road	Bearden Library 3 p.m. 100 Golfclub Road
Carter Senior Center 4 p.m. 9040 Asheville Highway	Fountain City Library 4 p.m. 5300 Stanton Road
Burlington Library 5:30 p.m. 4614 Asheville Highway

Proposed budget: No tax increase

Rogero

Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero unveiled her proposed budget on Wednesday, a $302.68 million spending plan that doesn’t include a tax increase but features funding dedicated to a number of major initiatives including streetscapes and community service organizations.

The overall budget is about a 4.5 percent increase from the current one, but officials said the additional revenues came from natural growth.

In addition, the budget includes a $212.5 million general fund - which covers most of the city's day-to-day operations - that is an almost 3 percent from the current budget.

The plan will cover the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Rogero, during her presentation at Zoo Knoxville, emphasized the momentum and economic development occurring across the city – and also the need to ensure that all residents share in the growing prosperity.

“Stronger, safer neighborhoods are more than quality police and fire protection and more than bricks and mortar,” Rogero said, speaking to a crowd of hundredse. “Strengthening the social fabric and ensuring success for families and youth are even more essential.”

The streetscape project for a four-block section of Magnolia Avenue from Jessamine to Bertrand streets represents the largest new capital investment in the budget, at $4.39 million.

The project was first proposed in the Magnolia Avenue Corridor Plan adopted by City Council in 2009, and has been in various stages of public input and design for the past two years. The eventual plan is to redesign all of Magnolia Avenue from downtown to Burlington, to make it more attractive and safer for local residents drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders.

Rogero also reiterated her commitment of a $250,000 capital grant to The Change Center, a new recreation and jobs center for young people on Harriet Tubman Street that was announced April 20.

She also proposed an additional $50,000 for the City’s Save Our Sons initiative to reduce violence and increase opportunities for young men and boys of color, doubling its programming capacity.

Further, she included another annual commitment of $250,000 for the Great Schools Partnership to support Community Schools in center city neighborhoods.

Among other highlights of the proposed budget:

• $2.7 million for sidewalks and crosswalks across the city, including $750,000 for sidewalks within school Parental Responsibility Zones and another $750,000 for new sidewalk construction;
•  $1.3 million for an advanced traffic management system (ATMS), which will allow networked, responsive timing of traffic signals to enhance traffic flow and reduce congestion and pollution;
• A combined $1.25 million in grants to local arts, culture, community and social service nonprofit organizations;
• $1 million for development of greenway corridors;
• $5.8 million for the City’s annual street paving program, plus $3 million for phase 2 of the Pleasant Ridge Road project, $1.5 million for Kingston Pike improvements and $1.12 million for improvements at Merchants Drive and Clinton Highway;
• $726,500 for economic development efforts through Innovation Valley, the Knoxville Chamber, the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center and the Visit Knoxville Film Office;
• $731,000 for homelessness efforts, in staff positions, case management contracts and grants;
• $500,000 for the Historic Preservation Fund, to help fill financing gaps for renovation or restoration of historic properties;
• $300,000 for public art, including $50,000 to support Dogwood Arts’ “Art in Public Places” program;
• $200,000 toward a program for pre-arrest diversion of individuals with mental health and substance abuse issues.

Knoxville City Council will consider the budget on first reading at its May 10 meeting, followed by Council’s public budget hearing on May 17. The budget is scheduled for final adoption at Council’s June 7 meeting.

Rogero to present budget Wednesday

Rogero

Knoxville Mayor Rogero will unveil her proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year and present her "state of the city" address noon Wednesday at Zoo Knoxville.

The event is open to the public.

According to a release:

"Hundreds of community and civic leaders will hear the Mayor’s plans for continuing to strengthen the local economy, enhance neighborhoods and quality of life, and ensure a greener, more sustainable future."

Parking will be available in the zoo parking lot (which will include designated ADA parking spaces), as well as the parking lots at Chilhowee Park & Exposition Center. Buses will be shuttling guests between the Chilhowee parking lots and the event venue.

Guests should come into Zoo Knoxville using a separate, clearly marked entrance designated for the State of the City Address. Staff will be on hand to direct guests. The State of the City Address will be held in a new Zoo Knoxville event space, near Kids Cove and the carousel. A light lunch will be served.

If you plan on attending, please call the City’s 311 Call Center to RSVP or to ask questions about logistics for the event.

Draft BOE budget includes raises

Jim McIntyre

Knox County Schools on Wednesday released its preliminary proposal for the fiscal year 2017 general fund budget that will go to the Board of Education for review.

Superintendent Jim McIntyre is recommending a general school purpose budget of $453,500,000 - an increase of $15,500,000, or 3.54 percent, from the current budget.

At its core, the proposed budget includes approximately $12 million for educator salaries and benefits, including a 3 percent salary increase for teachers, maintaining current percentages paid by employees for health insurance, and offering Workers’ Compensation to certified employees for the first time.

Other highlights include:

• A 2 percent salary increase for classified employees.
• $56,000 to support the work of the Disparities in Educational Outcomes Task Force
• Increasing investment in the student transportation program by $1 million
• Sustaining KCS’s Personalized Learning Environment (PLE) effort and initiating a comprehensive instructional technology initiative at the high school level

“Our teachers and staff continue to do an extraordinary job of facilitating student learning and success in an era of great change and heightened expectation,” McIntyre said in a released statement. “A significant salary increase for our hard working teachers and support staff both recognizes their remarkable success with our students, and also ensures that the Knox County Schools can retain our outstanding educators and recruit the next generation of exceptional teachers.”

Once the BOE approves the plan, it will go to Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett to incorporate into his overall budget for the county. From there it will go to the Knox County Commission for final approval.

Projections: Knox BOE budget on pace for $14M increase for upcoming FY

Chris Caldwell address the BOE

The Knox County school system’s upcoming budget could jump by as much as $14 million when officials put together next fiscal year’s spending plan, according to revenue projections.

During Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting, county finance director Chris Caldwell told school leaders that property and sales tax revenues are up, as is the Basic Education Program allocation from the state.

The school system currently operates on a $438 million budget.

Caldwell said property tax revenues project a roughly $1.6 million increase, raising total collections to $96.8 million. He noted that sales tax collections are on pace to bring in an additional $5.1 million, which would raise those collections to $143 million.

In addition, officials are expecting an additional $11.4 million in BEP funding form the state, which would increase that total to more than $194 million.

Caldwell said “other revenue sources” would eventually lead to an overall $14 million increase if “everything remains on pace.”

If the projections hold steady, that could lead to a $452 million spending plan for the school system’s upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1. The overall difference amounts to about a 3.2 percent increase from the current budget.

A look at Regal: Funding the move

Regal's HQ will relocate to S. Knoxville

Here’s the city’s release on the Regal relocation – RIGHT SMACK HERE.

Not really sure what to say. You either like it or you don’t. Gov. Bill Haslam called it a “game changer” for South Knoxville.

I’m not sure I’d agree. Some 75 new jobs in exchange for more than $12 million in taxpayer monies is like $160K in folding coin per job.

That doesn’t exactly scream “bargain” to me. (I mean, in theory, those spaces would have been filled whether Regal moved or not. Right? But I digress.)

And whatever.

Maybe it is.

If the overall riverfront project is in danger and this is the only way to save it – and I’m not saying it is in trouble – then the Regal move would be significant. Maybe that’s the cash infusion that’s needed to keep it moving along. Or not.

Still, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a pile of rubble sitting on the riverfront for the next 20 years. So this could be one of those instances where ya just hold your nose and vote for it. Or not.

MORE: Regal headquarters moving to South Knoxville waterfront

I think in five, six or so years – provided the entire development is complete – no one will give much thought to the move or how much was spent.

Now, here’s where they’ll get the money to fund it:

The county’s $1.5 million will come from end-of-the-year surplus.

The state’s $1.5 million will come from “I’m not sure where.” (No, seriously, I don’t know. Heh. I suspect there’s some type of economic development account or something.)

The city’s $9 million will come from: existing funds ($1.1 million); bonus/unexpected Hall tax revenues ($3.6 million); end-of-the-year surplus ($600,000); and reserves ($3.7 million).

The city actually has a pretty healthy reserve tank by the way.

And that's good.

The last time the city needed to come up with $10 million (ahem, pensions) it raised taxes. Now, that’s not going to happen for this project. It’s a one-time deal.

But, if taxes are raised maybe in a year or two? Oh man.

Knox County expecting budget surplus, earmarks $2.9 million on big items

Knox County officials have put together a shopping list for how they would like to spend what is expected to be at least $2.9 million in surplus revenues and savings, with much of the money dedicated to employee salary adjustments, the Sheriff’s Office, a partnership with Blount County and the possible relocation of two county clerk satellite offices.

The county’s finance department is expected to officially close the accounting books on FY 2014, which ended June 30, later this month. Officials said they could get roughly $4 million to $4.5 million in unexpected revenues tied to an uptick in sales taxes collections and departmental savings.

Of that amount, the administration has already designated almost $3 million for a number of items that various department heads requested, said county Finance Director Chris Caldwell. Any additional savings will go to the county’s reserve fund.

EARMARKS: Entire list here

The school system, which also receives tax revenues, is not expected to get a surplus this year, officials said. Although sales tax revenues jumped, property tax revenues dropped somewhat. Knox County Schools departments also didn’t yield the same amount of savings, so overall spending broke about even.

Here’s a snapshot of how officials would like to use some of this year’s savings:

• Courts: $185,000 for new Criminal Court Clerk’s Office filing system; $8,500 for computer/scanning equipment for Civil Sessions Court Clerk
• Agencies: $100,000 Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley; $80,000 Helen Ross McNabb Runaway Homeless Services; $20,000 Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Children’s Emergency Shelter;
• County Clerk: $175,000 for renovations tied to potential relocation of the Halls and Farragut offices
• Blount Partnership: $600,000 for Blount County business park one-time capital expenses, like roads and sidewalks that are tied to a Maryville, Alcoa and Knox County initiative established years ago.
• PBS Math line: $100,000 for a program that helps students with math
• Salaries: $500,000 to adjust salaries that were changed after the county recently created a new pay scale.
• Health Department: $100,000 for the Knoxville Volunteer Rescue Squad; $50,000 for Karns Volunteer Fire Department.
• Sheriff’s Office: $200,000 for five marked Dodge Charges, $29,000 for laptops; $52,000 for kitchen equipment at the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility; $15,000 for DNA testing.

The Knox County Commission will discuss the designations during Monday's meeting, and decide whether to approve the expenditures.

Knox Co. BOE approves budget, MOU

By a 6-3 vote, Knox County school board members agreed Wednesday to approve a pact with county government that features funding for 2 percent raises for teachers and construction of two middle schools.

Members Lynne Fugate, Tracie Sanger and Gloria Deathridge voted in the minority.

The board met Wednesday night in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building.

"I am very pleased with the Knox County Board of Education's approval of the Memorandum of Understanding between Knox County and the school system," Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett said in a statement. "This agreement will help to ensure increased fiscal responsibility while also providing for much-needed teacher raises and two new middle schools, all without the need for a tax increase."

"I'm excited that the board approved this compromise," Superintendent Jim told WBIR after the vote. "I think it's ultimately going to be good for our children, good for our teachers and good for our community."
The vote didn't come without discussion of concerns, even among board members who ultimately voted "yes."

Rest of the story RIGHT HERE.

Commish approves Burchett budget

Knox County commissioners approved Monday afternoon a memo of understanding that paves the way for construction of middle schools for the Gibbs and Hardin Valley areas as well as a 2 percent raise for Knox County teachers.

Commissioner Sam McKenzie had introduced a substitute motion to wait 90 days to vote on the memo, but his motion failed.

Several commissioners had expressed concern about the pact sealed between Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett and Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre, seeking more time for discussion.

Burchett and McIntyre announced the agreement last week as a way to meet residents' requests and keep taxes at current levels.

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

'The Jim & Tim Show' announce changes to the proposed budget; the good, bad, whatever and looking ahead

McIntyre, left, Burchett, right

By now I suspect everyone has heard about the little Kumbaya the county mayor and superintendent had this afternoon when the two got together to announce major changes to the proposed $747.2 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Superintendent Jim McIntyre even joked about how the media often calls it the "Jim Vs. Tim Show." Or some such nonsense. Heh. Yeah, actually it's true, and for his sake I hope he doesn't expect today's dog and pony show to do away with it.

Folks, these two do not get along. And they will find other things to fight about.

But, for today they did. Get along. I suppose.

Anyhoo, we've got stories RIGHT SMACK HERE. I was off today, so I took a leisurely nap while the hoopla took place and now get to armchair quarterback.

Why? 'Cause I'm obnoxious.

So, at the heart of the proposals is a plan to build schools in the Hardin Valley and the Gibbs community. But, not one in north central Knox County.

There will be no tax increase. The county will have more control over the school system's purse strings (old, old consent decree be damned). Teachers will get a 2 percent raise. The mayor will phase out his reading program. The A.J. Building will be put up for sale.

BURCHETT'S SPEECH: RIGHT SMACK HERE.

MOU: RIGHT SMACK HERE

There's more, of course, but you can check out WBIR - hey, we'll have stories all day today - for the most complete coverage.

That said, this isn't some touchy, feely blog where we give out compliments. Heck no! We enjoy entertainment at other peoples' expense on the 'ol Porch.

So, let's look at this plan. There are lots and lots of problems.

The proposal will build a school for a community that does not need it. End of argument. Disagree, whatever, I don't care. The proponents of this school say the bus routes are long, their children spend hours getting carted to and from school, etc. Guess what? It's worse elsewhere.

Others say that building a school in East Knox County will encourage growth and development. Guess what? School systems aren't in the business to encourage development. I'm respectfully disagreeing here with Knox County Commissioner Dave Wright who will tell you - and he'll do it convincingly - otherwise.

Hardin Valley needs a school. So does North Central Knoxville, or Knox County, or wherever it was McIntyre proposed building one. Rezoning isn't going to work, and the students aren't just going to disappear by not building it.

Why didn't this school get thrown into the mix? Blame the parents, blame the representation (on the school board and the county commission). Squeaky wheel and all that. Sit on your hands and do nothing, you get nothing.

The folks out in East Knox County know how to petition leadership. Heck, they got a Carter Elementary school built a few years ago (although they did need one).

Now, the county could be on the hook for $9 million to build Gibbs. Since the county's purchasing department - under Burchett's management - will oversee the bidding, building, whatever, I suspect the school will be built for under $25 million, rather than the "up to $30 million" proposal. (The school system covers the rest.)

That said, if the county is on the hook for $9 million, that really means the county is on the hook for about 18 million. Bonds. Interest. 20 years.

OK, so we build schools - how do we pay to operate them (as much as $6 million a year)? Well, supposedly school debt is falling off. So, as long as the school system doesn't increase it's capital budget, then they can use that money.

Yeah, well, don't forget that elementary school in North Central Knox that we still need.

I don't buy it. No, here's what probably happens. The schools come online in a couple years when Burchett is out of office and there's a push for a tax increase to cover these costs.

Also under the plan, McIntyre will cut $1 million in administrative costs. Whatever that means. Maybe he'll quit putting employees on paid administrative leave for years on end. Maybe he'll get rid of his buddies. Maybe he'll quit handing out raises and calling them promotions.

Whatever.

Either way, it could be a sticking point if the Board of Education doesn't like his proposed cuts.

And they might not. The dude tried to save a ton of coin years ago by outsourcing custodians and that went over like a lead balloon. (That was actually a compliment by the way.)

Today's proposal, however, might - I said "might" - make for a headache free budget session next year, and for a few more years to come. You see under the plan, McIntyre won't put together a budget that goes above and beyond revenue projections, like he has a number of times in the past couple of years.

But - BUT - the county finance is charged with coming up with those projections and the KCS school system must approve them. So, there's THAT. And THAT is called an escape clause. (Burchett's people are ultra conservative when it comes to revenue projections. Note all the surplus coin each year.)

Further, we're talking about two entities (county-school) that don't agree on a lot when it comes to dollars, cents and sense.

Still, Burchett can buckle down and start running for another office without having to worry about getting dinged on school issues. (The memorandum of understanding that Burchett and McIntyre created ends when he leaves his mayoral post. That shouldn't be lost on anyone.)

Further, the county now has some control over the school system's purse strings. Not a lot, but there were some concessions made today.

Look, I could complain about this all day, and some will. Today's announcement is gonna get a lot of play in the media, and rightly so.

And within a month, I suspect we'll see the return of the true "Jim and Tim Show."

But, well, screw it. They get today.

So, congratulations for trying to work together and better the county and the school system.

Too bad it wasn't done earlier.

Heh.

I'm out.

Public hearing for budget on June 8

The Knox County Commission will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. June 8 to talk about the county Mayor's proposed budget. It will be held in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building.

You can read about our budget coverage RIGHT HERE.

Budget talks focus on roads, schools

A preliminary Knox County budget discussion on Tuesday focused mostly on paving roads and building schools.

The Knox County Commission during its monthly luncheon spent about 30 minutes with county and school leaders talking finances – or the lack thereof – and whether officials should tweak Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett's proposed spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

At this point, officials have said privately that they don't expect any major changes without a tax increase, and they don't expect that.

Further, if the commission did raise taxes, Burchett has promised to veto the move.

In the meantime, commission Chairman Brad Anders said the county needs to invest more into paving and sealing roads. He said the county is on pace to resurface about 30 miles of the county's 2,000 miles of roads per year.

"We're one of the fastest growing counties in the state . . . and we can't continue a 30-mile a year pace – it's not feasible," he said. "It's not even changing the oil in the car."

Burchett's budget this year sets aside $2 million for paving – up $1 million from the current budget. The county spends about $100,000 per mile to seal and resurface.

County leaders on Tuesday also met with Knox County Schools Assistant Superintendent Bob Thomas, asking him whether the board of education has looked into rezoning school districts instead of building new schools.

The questions come as the BOE proposed building three new schools – something Burchett declined to do, saying he wouldn't take on new debt to pay for the construction.

Thomas told commissioners that rezoning "is a pretty complicated process" that requires community meetings, and that it would take at least a year to find a solution. He said school leaders aren't opposed to the discussion, but wouldn't be able to finish it before the commission voted on the budget.

He also noted a recent study that looked into rezoning suggested that schools in the west would still be overcrowded.

Thomas noted that in the next half decade about $5.3 million in debt will drop off and the school system could apply those monies to new debt to build at least two schools – a middle school in the Hardin Valley area and an elementary school in the north central part of the county.

However, he conceded that not enough debt would fall off that the school system could use money to cover the operating expenses, which could cost as much as $3 million per school.

Overall, Burchett's spending plan, unveiled earlier this month, stands at $747.2 million. That's up about $20.2 million with half the increase dedicated to the school system.

Of that, some $435 million is set aside for general purposes schools, which is roughly $14 million in new revenues for the system. However, the school system asked for $441.5 million, an amount above and beyond projected revenues.

The commission will vote on the budget on June 15. A public hearing will be held a week prior but officials have not yet ironed out the date.

County, Board of Ed talk finances

In a joint meeting Thursday night, the Knox County Board of Education and Knox County Commission discussed the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

The board requested $441.5 million for operational costs but is currently slotted to receive $435 million. That represents roughly $14 million in new revenues for the school system but it's not enough to cover what the board hoped to get.

At the center of the debate Thursday night - how the two governing bodies can bridge the $6.5 million gap and also come up with a way to build and fund three new proposed schools.

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett is declining to take on debt to cover construction of the schools.
"We all want a good education system," said Brad Anders, chairman of the Knox County Commission. "It's just a matter of how you pay for it, and how you get there."

BOE members voiced concern about the possibility of cutting a proposed 3 percent pay raise for teachers if the additional money is not added to the school system budget.

"We're very fortunate to have truly professional, expert teachers who care about our kids and are providing great education, and we need to make sure that their compensation reflects that success," said Dr. Jim McIntyre, superintendent of schools.

The county has trimmed the general fund side of the county budget over the last few years, Anders said, so there is not a lot of room to make more cuts.

He said a tax increase is inevitable in the coming years because Knox County has not had a property tax increase since 1999. But that is most likely not an option County Commission will consider this year.

"Do our teachers deserve more pay? Absolutely," Anders said. "But so do our law enforcement, so do our health department employees. So under these revenues, it's gonna be tough to do all that."

For the rest of the story, click RIGHT SMACK HERE.

You know, I initially thought there was a slight chance that the commission would bridge some of the $6.5 million gap (no matter what some commissioners say, there is some money there), but after thinking about it more, I don't believe it will happen.

Anders makes a good point: Essentially, he says, if there's money around for schools, then that really means there's money around for the county.

As for a tax increase? Not happening while Burchett is in office. He won't do it and there's probably not enough on the commission who would. And there's certainly not enough to override a veto.

Burchett proposed $747.2 million budget; raises for deputies; no tax increase; no new Knox Co. schools

Mayor Burchett

As expected, Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett on Monday unveiled what he dubbed a "no frills" spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year – one that doesn't include a tax increase, but also doesn't fully cover the Board of Education's own proposed budget.

The plan, however, sets aside funding to give general county and sheriff office deputies, on average, a three percent raise during the course of the year, and it maintains the county's current level of services, the mayor said.

"Each budget I've presented the needs of Knox County government without raising taxes and this one is no different," Burchett said.

The proposed budget, presented before the Knox County Commission on Monday morning, stands at an overall $747.2 million – up about $20.2 million with half the increase dedicated to the school system.

Of that, some $435 million is set aside for general purposes schools, which is roughly $14 million in new revenues for the system. However, that still leaves the system, which asked for $441.5 million, short by $6.5 million.

"We cannot operate outside the existing revenue," Burchett said.

The mayor also proposed a roughly $16.1 million capital budget for the school system, giving KCS officials everything they requested except funding for three new schools.

He did, however, include $2.8 million to continue covering the school system's elementary school reading initiative, which he created several years ago; some $2.5 million for the Great Schools Partnership; and $1.2 million for a Kindergarten intervention program.

"This is enough funding to provide quality instruction for our students in the classroom, while also providing for teacher raises proposed by the governor and the superintendent," Burchett said. "We must pay our teachers more – not curriculum coaches, not administrators, but our classroom teachers. They are the people who, day-to-day, deal with students' healthcare issues, family troubles, hunger and poverty, all while navigating ever-changing testing standards and bureaucratic red tape."

KCS Superintendent Jim McIntyre in his own budget released last month proposed giving teachers a 3 percent pay raise. Because the mayor didn't fully fund the plan, McIntyre and the Board of Education – barring a change by the county commission – will have to go back and make cuts.

At this point, it is not known where school leaders will trim from their own budget, but McIntyre in an interview after the presentation said the lack of full funding is "obviously challenging" and that it would "make it more difficult" to provide the teacher pay increases.

He also said the mayor's refusal to fund a school for the Gibbs community was "understandable," since the school system did not suggest paying for it, but said his choice to not support building schools in Hardin Valley and in the north east part of the county is "a little bit perplexing."

The superintendent said the school system could afford those two new schools and some their operational costs because KCS will soon not be responsible for some of the debt obligation tied to schools built in the 1990s as it will be paid off.

Burchett's overall proposed budget also includes a $171.25 million general fund, which covers much of the county's day-to-day operations. That's up about $7 million. Of that increase, some $4.5 million is set aside for public safety, including $1 million for the new medical examiner's office.

Public safety accounts for $81.9 million of general fund, and that jumped about 6 percent from the current budget. Much of the additional funding for public safety will cover pay raises, increases in prescription drug costs for inmates, health insurance and workers' comp.

The mayor also allocated some $1.4 million in defined service contracts, or grants, to the same organizations currently receiving them, including, for example, monies for Child Help ($36,300); Sertoma Center ($4,200); Salvation Army ($11,760); The Knoxville Chamber ($80,000); and Keep Knoxville Beautiful ($6,720).

Burchett during his presentation noted a steady increase during the past year in hotel-motel tax revenues, which climbed to $3.15 million. The biggest beneficiary in the upcoming fiscal year will be Visit Knoxville, which gets 40 percent of the revenues, according to its contract. This year it received $2.26 million, but the mayor proposed setting aside $2.4 million for the upcoming year.

The Arts & Cultural Alliance of Greater Knoxville ($375,000), the Beck Cultural Exchange Center ($50,000), the Knoxville Zoo ($100,000) and Legacy Parks ($75,000) also will receive significant funding.

In addition, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame will get $150,000, which is a contract for maintenance and operations, out of the hotel-motel tax revenues.

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

Burchett's remarks RIGHT HERE.

Burchett sets budget presentations

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett will present his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year to the Knox County Commission at 9 a.m., Monday, May 11, according to the official release from the mayor's communications director, Michael "Medium Sexy" Grider.

The presentation will take place in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building, 400 Main Street.

You can also stream it live at www.ctvknox.org.

After the address, Burchett will host a series of public meetings on Monday and take questions about the budget. The meetings are planned for the following spots:

South Knox Senior Center
11 a.m.
6729 Martel Lane

Strang Senior Center
1:30 p.m.
109 Lovell Heights Road

Halls Senior Center
2:45 p.m.
4405 Crippen Road

Carter Senior Center
4 p.m.
9036 Asheville Highway

Burchett not expected to fully fund BOE budget or three new schools

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett is not expected to fully fund the Board of Education’s budget request for the upcoming year, leaving school officials to figure out where they will find some $6.5 million to make up the difference.

The mayor also isn’t expected to support the construction of any of the three proposed new schools when he unveils his recommended own spending plan on May 11.

The school board in April approved a $441.5 million budget, which was then sent over to the county mayor’s office to incorporate into the overall spending plan for the entire county. The board also approved a $19.2 million capital plan that including some costs for building a middle school in Hardin Valley and a new elementary school. In addition, the board voted to include a middle school for the Gibbs community, but did not include or designate monies to build it.

In an email sent Monday from Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre to school board members, McIntyre said Burchett “likely” planned to appropriate $435 million for the schools. He also said that after meeting with the county’s finance director he doesn’t feel that the mayor will support any new school this year.

McIntyre noted, though, that Burchett does plan to cover the almost $3 million early reading initiative that he established several years ago.

The schools – if approved – would more than likely each cost $2 million to $3 million annually to staff and operate. They also would cost $20 million to $30 million to build.

Burchett, whose office declined to comment on Monday, will present his budget next week before the Knox County Commission. The commission will then spend the next couple of weeks reviewing it and making potential changes.

The board, if it chose, could set aside more money for the school system.

When McIntyre initially proposed his budget, it was already above and beyond revenue projections by $5.5 million. Burchett expected recommendation would add another $1 million to that.

The KCS proposed budget of $441.5 is a 3.9 percent increase, or about $16.5 million jump, from the current school system spending plan.