[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6354043,"mediaKeyId","2220669-de9f6f8b3bbd017fb3a0ab9082b0a60b","parentId",2220669,"title","Votes at a glance: Jefferson County Commission approves grants, budget amendments and appointments; key items listed","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",2659000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220669-de9f6f8b3bbd017fb3a0ab9082b0a60b&start=2659&end=2659","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220669-de9f6f8b3bbd017fb3a0ab9082b0a60b/thumbnail_2659000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6354043/Tennessee/Votes-at-a-glance-Jefferson-County-Commission-approves-grants-budget-amendments-and-appointments-key-items-listed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6354043-95fd64533f30370ae0d731054edbfd7c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771077040&Signature=IOWvlCKoNHmUqRKeQJHWLAgXUt3T4~nXwZSuyUPgT6hZ5X2vgkNlz0JqkwFe4qujeYzfmYAh2CecuXbjyC1TAHtVWdtI445REmluvDSlnZVPPzCxpIVAMIiy5kk5gZqdmOontVEr10decbvuTo8kjNi05J5CmjLnQhiK66dnN1CXM2d9XKdo09WoWeCxuePAEx7bf3EEnLOGndWDZuPovd~yQhaWjTmoX6BqBfwXA2h6jnGxt-no-rR5ChIzWaYhm6Psi8G8MzW2cvs9qvjkUaoiAYZ6OmTESVISCM0BC-PyWWbetp82Iz2ap41oogcjf2pyYMAyuvp0jFmKskU6dw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Jefferson County, TN","date","2025-01-20T00:00:00Z","article","The Jefferson County Commission recorded a series of formal votes on budget amendments, grants, appointments, surplus declarations and policy changes. Below are the principal actions taken during the meeting and their recorded outcomes.

Votes and key outcomes (selected):

- Notaries and bonds: Approved (17-0). The commission voted to approve a slate of notaries and bond authorizations.

- Nominating committee appointments: Approved (17-0). The commission approved nominations for the industrial development board and library board.

- Budget and grants (selected):
- General Fund amendment for inmate medical expenses (Sheriff’s outstanding bills): Approved (17-0). The commission authorized using fund balance to pay roughly $600,000 for inmate medical and dental expenses incurred by the jail.
- General Fund budget amendment funding an interim salary supplement for the zoning compliance office (to cover work while a staff member is on medical leave): Approved (14-3). The commission authorized a temporary salary supplement for the remainder of fiscal 24-25.
- ADA sidewalk/annex accessibility item (Capital Fund ADA project): Struck/extracted after debate (vote: 3 yes, 14 no). Commissioners questioned the $71,892 project cost and removed the item from the amendment list.
- Roof replacements (unassigned fund balance for school roofing projects): Approved (13 yes, 4 no). The commission approved $1,968,000 from fund balance for roof replacements and repairs.
- Other budget amendments and federal/state grant line items: Multiple items were approved by recorded votes of 17-0 or unanimous voice vote across funds (federal fund amendments, SPARC and CTE grant pass-throughs, landfill engineering permits, etc.).

- Policy and personnel items:
- Debt management, travel, purchasing and surplus property policies: Approved (votes recorded as unanimous where noted).
- Surplus property resolutions for the Danrich Library, Registered Deeds office, and Prairie Wood Memorial Library: Approved as amended and made contingent on following the county surplus policy (17-0 as amended).

- Appointments and memorials:
- Approval to fund a public-safety memorial (Kevin Poe memorial): Motion passed on the floor to allocate up to $10,000 from general-fund balance to secure the project; the commission directed staff to solicit a purchase order to proceed.

- Planning and zoning:
- Zoning amendment to move campgrounds out of A-1 into C-2 (resolution amending permitted uses): Failed (7 yes, 10 no). The commission sent the matter back after debate and the measure did not advance.
- Resolution to refer an infrastructure development provision to the Industrial Development Board (IDB) for further review: Approved (17-0). Commissioners voted to send the draft IDB infrastructure-development authority language to the IDB for study and recommendation.

- Eminent-domain and property-rights resolution: Approved (16 yes, 1 no). The commission passed a resolution urging the General Assembly to amend law to limit eminent-domain authority.

- RAISE grant / transportation planning application: Approved (17-0). The commission authorized a resolution to apply for federal RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) grant funds to support countywide transportation planning and projects.

Several items required separate votes after committee review, and some line items were removed after commissioner questioning. Where the transcript recorded a vote tally, it is listed above; where a roll-call was not transcribed, the item is characterized as unanimous or recorded as in the meeting packet.

What this means: The commission moved forward on multiple short-term budget fixes and grant applications while deferring several controversial zoning or revenue items for further study. Several unanimous or near‑unanimous votes indicate cross‑bench agreement on routine appointments, grant applications and many targeted budget amendments. More politically contested measures — notably the mineral severance tax and one zoning change — failed or were referred for further review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","January 20, 2025- Jefferson County, TN - County Commission","oneSentenceSummary","At its regular session the Jefferson County Commission approved multiple budget amendments, grant applications and appointments, approved surplus deaccessions, and took up zoning and policy items. Below is a concise list of formal actions and vote outcomes recorded in the meeting.","taxTitle","County Commission Meetings, Jefferson County, Tennessee","taxId",73404,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6354048,"Commission rejects mineral severance tax after debate over local mines and revenue",905,6096000,7001000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220669-de9f6f8b3bbd017fb3a0ab9082b0a60b&start=6096&end=7001","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220669-de9f6f8b3bbd017fb3a0ab9082b0a60b/thumbnail_6096000.jpg","/articles/6354048/Tennessee/Commission-rejects-mineral-severance-tax-after-debate-over-local-mines-and-revenue","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6354048-004424d72335d99fd65dff045761aa18/orig.mp4?Expires=1771077040&Signature=Y3rgaO-OT2ob4QS6WKFqCM~Iv5B~6Ki0hzPVUyUptjaeGqEJWUeat-8~MuYkzrfaYtgU0gTAmZK~szGyFNmDkvWAWsoYItaVr4JYBvccVL~XdROm431RL6t1msBuwPLiA4eGnX5Gku8t9fdzaAo3KCPeIAHzel84AdncqknTakW3y35T3Ah1NfaKNNU8Rf-LR8czTscjH6ZIzytk8e5Ht8LrsenLz2LqgnCPIRNP2jAVsKuNsbmCG1y8ja-6mWir6rv0TbsLr~Qvj~jbP~PKezr7cBiMNfcGNR5qfFD-XO2LtF9zx4da8RcAKGc3OXv6U-yQ~oqjh1tvC4d-NrWIEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Jefferson County Commission considered a resolution to levy a mineral severance tax on materials taken from county quarries and mines but did not secure the votes needed to enact it.

The resolution — introduced as a carryover from the prior calendar year and discussed under old business — prompted extended debate about expected revenue and economic risk to local mineral-processing employers. Commission members and staff displayed county-by-county revenue examples from East Tennessee and discussed nearby counties’ experience after adopting severance taxes.

Supporters said the tax’s proceeds would be earmarked for road maintenance and that several nearby counties generate meaningful quarterly revenue from similar levies. Opponents cautioned that some local employers operate on narrow commodity margins and that periodic production pauses are driven by global metal prices rather than local tax policy.

The commission recorded a 10-7 vote on the measure; the chair noted the measure needed a larger threshold and the measure failed.

Context and concerns: Commissioners and citizens raised questions about the tax’s effect on large local employers processed in Jefferson County, including a firm identified in discussion as a major non-government employer with roughly 450 workers. Commissioners also pointed to differing revenue performance across counties (examples ranged from roughly $45,000 to over $2.2 million in early-adopting counties), underlining the difficulty of predicting receipts.

Outcome: The resolution to adopt a county mineral severance tax did not pass on the floor; commissioners signaled the subject remains a recurring discussion point but no new tax was enacted at this meeting.","A resolution to levy a mineral severance tax on sand, gravel, sandstone, chert and limestone failed on the county commission floor; commissioners cited uncertainty about revenues and potential impacts on local operations.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6354052,"Jefferson County approves $35 motor-vehicle \"wheel\" tax; commissioners set referendum for 2028",7318,1082000,8400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220669-de9f6f8b3bbd017fb3a0ab9082b0a60b&start=1082&end=8400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220669-de9f6f8b3bbd017fb3a0ab9082b0a60b/thumbnail_1082000.jpg","/articles/6354052/Tennessee/Jefferson-County-approves-35-motor-vehicle-wheel-tax-commissioners-set-referendum-for-2028","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6354052-6d2be74e93613568183609fc82c90c1f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771077040&Signature=oGRKcojGY86bbktfTDLxjMGx9QciZrts6LSqP3eP2DAv7JYws8LXPqpZLFnt0ZLOjlRtoqXQM9BrQPbRzkOM8AgcSlDgxNjy4sWNtjsOoPulUtytZRm-aj3bRXK9IWYxFXMaT3xd7hn1bCUf~fsmeD2rOYpcU6HZa5Um8ZlDiUSau8SPsIvQt7eZNXhjPYT9Lu0ff6RLc6RA3DWoE-WF-49rf0NgHZyPCSDHXk55oFFF0lVsRzDrmH~Zrb3fxihWqNrv6ChknNo1IPBgHhtXSrSbKIPpzRmePJXIVQc2dqVM4ASM1~RwTagd-le8zyAuMMpk49q0utBI~sWgJcizAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Jefferson County Commission on a 16-1 vote approved a $35 motor-vehicle privilege tax — commonly called a wheel tax — intended to raise recurring local revenue for public safety, school capital and road maintenance.

Commissioner Katie Huffaker, sponsor of the successful resolution, said the tax is meant to help close the county’s budget gap without increasing property tax rates. “This is not gonna balance our budget, but it does help a lot,” Huffaker told the commission before the final vote.

The commission debated multiple competing proposals before the final decision. An effort to increase the tax to $50 failed. Commissioners later adopted an amendment requiring the county to place the tax before voters in a countywide referendum in 2028; the amendment passed on the commission floor. Commissioners also discussed implementation logistics, including the county clerk’s need for at least 90 days to change renewal notices; the commission later moved to amend implementation timing, but no final implementation date is recorded in the transcript.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the tax will provide a recurring revenue source to avoid larger property-tax increases and to restore funding lines reduced in last year’s budget. Supporters argued the tax provides funding targeted to sheriff and EMS vehicles, school capital needs and highways. Opponents warned about indefinite new taxes and urged time-limited or sunset provisions.

What commissioners and residents said: Dozens of residents used the meeting’s public-comment period to weigh in on a range of proposed taxes earlier in the evening. Some speakers urged a wheel tax as an alternative to larger property tax increases; others said taxes on specific industries or short-term rentals were preferable. On the floor, proponents framed the levy as a bridge until other revenue sources ramp up; opponents pressed for a limited duration or more transparency about allocations.

Votes and amendments: The commission defeated an earlier wheel-tax proposal (Resolution 2025-08) by a 6-11 vote earlier in the meeting. The later resolution (sponsored by Commissioners Katie Huffaker and Terry Dockery) passed 16-1 after floor amendments. A separate amendment to increase the levy to $50 was rejected; an amendment to require a public referendum in 2028 passed.

Next steps: The commission’s action authorizes the levy; county staff must complete implementing steps with the state and the county clerk’s office. Commissioners discussed the clerk’s 90-day timeline for changing renewal notices and considered a later effective date; the transcript records the request and debate but does not record a final vote on the implementation date in the public minutes included here.

The commission recorded the final passage on the afternoon’s agenda and moved on to other business.","The Jefferson County Commission voted 16-1 to approve a $35 motor-vehicle privilege tax to help cover public-safety, school and road needs. Commissioners added an amendment scheduling a countywide referendum in 2028 to let voters affirm or end the tax.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Jefferson County Commission approves grants, budget amendments and appointments; key items listed

Commission rejects mineral severance tax after debate over local mines and revenue

Jefferson County approves $35 motor-vehicle "wheel" tax; commissioners set referendum for 2028