Public Budget Hearing and Special Called Meeting
COVID-19 Update
Cumberland County, like many other parts of the country, continues to see a surge in COVID-19 infections as the Delta variant continues to spread. Upper Cumberland Regional Medical Director for the Tennessee Department of Health, Doctor Don Grisham, said the vaccines are proving to be highly effective against the Delta variant with 98 percent of those being admitted to hospitals being unvaccinated. He also stated that 98 percent of deaths are among the unvaccinated. Grisham said 80 percent of new cases are from the Delta Variant.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), in Cumberland County there are 359 active cases of COVID-19, which is up from a recent low of one on July 5, 2021, but down two from the previous day. There have been 145 deaths as of the date of this newsletter. Datasets for additional information can be found at https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov/data/downloadable-datasets.html.
Getting vaccinated is a personal decision and should be made by an individual and their doctor and other trusted advisors. Information for those that wish to get vaccinated is provided below.
Public Hearing and Special Called Meeting
I want to thank everyone for all the hard work put into his budget, especially the Finance Department, Nathan Brock, and Jennifer Turner. Budgets aren’t easy. There are tough issues and disagreements, but we managed to get another one done, so thanks to all.
Work began on this budget on May 3, 2021, with all day budget hearings. Since then, Tuesday and Thursday evenings have been set aside to complete the work. Highlights of the budget include a property tax rate of $1.5653, which is the same as last year. This rate is projected to bring in just over $24 million.
A third party was hired to update the county salary scale and to provide recommendations. Those included a 6 percent raise for all county employees. The Sheriff’s Department also received several reclassifications to higher grades for many positions which results in salaries being competitive with other departments. EMS paramedics that achieve the Critical Care licensure will also receive a stipend. This budget represents approximately $1 million invested in county employees.
Capital expenditures include software and equipment for HR onboarding and training, as well as more exterior repairs to the courthouse including the parapet wall and windows in the original section of the building. LED lighting projects at Milo Lemert, the Election Commission, and the Community Complex were approved, as were five patrol cars, three ambulances, five Lucas devices, and a transport vent. A new fire truck and two brush trucks were approved as well as several projects at the jail. The total capital expenditures were approximately $2.18 million.
First responders are a vital part of our county and should be funded as such. I believe this budget demonstrates a continued focus in that area.
RESOLUTION 08-10-2021-1 – Fixing the Tax Levy in Cumberland County, Tennessee for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2021. There is no tax increase in this budget. Your tax pennies will be distributed as follows:
General Fund Tax Rate $0.7711
Solid Waste/Sanitation Fund Tax Rate $0.1707
General Purpose School Fund Tax Rate $0.3636
General Debt Service Fund Tax Rate $0.2599
Total Combined Property Tax Rate $1.5653
This resolution was approved 16-0.
RESOLUTION 08-10-2021 -2 –To Approve and Adopt an Updated Wage Scale and Classification Schedule. The salary scale was update after a thorough review by a third-party company. This resulted in an across-the-board increase of 6 percent for all employees. The Sheriff’s Department was given a salary adjustment to bring them up to the market value to compete with other agencies. There were a few other positions that had various adjustments. Overall, this budget invests over $1 million into our county employees.
This resolution was approved 15-0-1 with Commissioner Norris abstaining.
RESOLUTION 08-10-2021-3 – Making Appropriations for the Various Funds, Departments, Institutions, Offices and Agencies of Cumberland County, Tennessee, for the Year Beginning July 1, 2021, and Ending June 30, 2022. This is the resolution that sets the budgets for the various departments.
This resolution was approved 15-1 with Commissioner Blalock voting against the budget.
RESOLUTION 08-10-2021-4 – Appropriations to Non-Profit Charitable Organizations of Cumberland County, Tennessee for the Year Beginning July 1, 2021 and Ending June 30, 2022. This resolution approves appropriations to the various charities the county donates to such as the Cumberland County Playhouse, the Chamber of Commerce, etc.
This resolution was approved 16-0.
Cumberland County Population Vaccinated
- Number of vaccines reported (including first and second doses): 46,053
- County Population with at least one dose of any manufacturer: 24,724
- County Population Fully Vaccinated: 22,835
State Vaccination Dashboard:
Vaccination and Testing at the Health Department
The Cumberland County Health Department (CCHD) COVID-19 vaccination and testing programs have moved from the Community Complex to the CCHD at 1503 South Main Street, Crossville, TN 38555.
Vaccines are provided daily, Monday through Friday from 8 AM until 4:30 PM. No appointment is needed.
Testing is available Monday through Friday from 10 AM until noon. These times may be adjusted as demand warrants.
Thank you for being part of the solution and thank you for the opportunity to serve as your County Mayor. If you are interested in hearing my thoughts and views on news, events, and activities in Cumberland County, please subscribe to my newsletter, and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Thank you,
Allen Foster
Cumberland County Mayor
http://allenfoster.net
allenfoster.com 