[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6630621,"mediaKeyId","2690375-da851591457dfd2ec486864525f0a167","parentId",2690375,"title","County deputy finance officer warns state bill could force $82 million gap and a 36¢ tax-rate jump for Shelby County","audioSeconds",277,"startMs",5669000,"endMs",5946000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2690375-da851591457dfd2ec486864525f0a167&start=5669&end=5946","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2690375-da851591457dfd2ec486864525f0a167/thumbnail_5669000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6630621/Shelby-County/Tennessee/County-deputy-finance-officer-warns-state-bill-could-force-82-million-gap-and-a-36-tax-rate-jump-for-Shelby-County","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630621-b002f584aafdba52d3c0094f8ebc3843/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437927&Signature=Dr52UJ5jfLuLT3UFUBS0sM9VUF7F1mhMRW1l-6jBuVFPwXRbp2ehXUnH23DAYkDrPtUSPos6gjIqI7gVYVrOHFgguLcGDsmSNCgUdAVAqGS1izpCoScxGRczevHILV4uLoTJLN5v83LHkudoxFc8kgLFv~MvsNBJ~SukuogpQeDSEUQtBFr~vmpwPk6l75r3X-r~x-uhJNi6pX9sL7ewXyfin0sRY173GM8-RvbWlx0TLMomUwcTsDzEZ1Oq3WGA-U0pPELiD9HdhdF~5NSofHbIzCPIqT8fpGWvNB9RbSN5TyswF2f7THZJA20kiSbPwiw1bPs1BNOeSP4IJAROSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Shelby County, TN","date","2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","article","Michael Thompson, deputy director of administration and finance, briefed the Shelby County Budget Subcommittee on March 19 about the fiscal implications of Tennessee House Bill 306 (HB306).

Thompson said HB306 would prevent a county legislative body from including a line item that accounts for vacancy savings (the budgeted payroll that is not spent when positions stay vacant). He warned that removing that accounting mechanism from the county budget would create a shortfall of roughly $82,000,000 in the county’s FY25 general fund budget and that the gap would require either large cuts or a tax increase. Using the county’s stated “penny” valuation of about $2.3 million per penny, Thompson said bridging an $82 million shortfall would amount to a roughly 36¢ increase in the property tax rate.

Why it matters: Budgeting conventions that record vacancy savings allow local governments to budget conservatively for payroll while recognizing that not every authorized position is filled every pay period. Thompson characterized the accounting change as a significant fiscal shock that would force tradeoffs between cutting services or raising property taxes.

Key points from the presentation

- Historical context: Thompson showed a county budget book page dating back to FY2009 that used a similar salary-savings accounting line. He said this is not a new practice and that the FY2009 example showed a $9.7 million vacancy-savings entry for one office.

- Fiscal math: Thompson summarized the math for commissioners: at an assumed penny value of $2.3 million, replacing an $82 million budget gap would require about 36 pennies (i.e., 36¢ on the tax rate). He described the options to fill a gap as cutting services, raising taxes or reallocating funds.

- Coordination and advocacy: Thompson said county attorneys and lobbyists had been engaged on the issue but that the legislation had gained traction; he encouraged commissioners to monitor the House proceeding, which he said was scheduled that day at 1:30 p.m.

Quotes and evidence

- “If this bill passes, the salary restriction that was adopted in FY25 for the general fund was $82,000,000… If this bill passes, the county legislative body will not be able to have that line item in future budgets as it stands,” Thompson said.
- Thompson summarized the tax-rate implication: “That's 36. That's a 36p increase, potential increase to the tax rate in order to make up for legislation that will significantly impact Shelby County citizens.”

What commissioners asked and next steps

Commissioner Wright asked whether county lobbyists and attorneys had been engaged; Thompson said they had and that county staff had been working the issue for several weeks. Thompson said the county would continue to inform commissioners about the fiscal implications and expected legislative movement.

Ending

Thompson asked commissioners to watch the pending House action and to weigh the potential consequences, saying the change would require difficult tradeoffs if enacted.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Shelby County, TN - --> FY2026 Budget Subcommittee #4 Meeting for March 19, 2025 - Mar 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Michael Thompson, deputy director of administration and finance, told the Shelby County Budget Subcommittee on March 19 that House Bill 306 (HB306) would remove an accounting practice the county uses to record vacancy savings and could create an $82 million gap in the general fund.","taxTitle","Shelby County, Tennessee","taxId",19114,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6630628,"Shelby County Elections asks for supervisors, poll-worker pay increases and compression fixes ahead of 2026 election",406,4897000,5303000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2690375-da851591457dfd2ec486864525f0a167&start=4897&end=5303","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2690375-da851591457dfd2ec486864525f0a167/thumbnail_4897000.jpg","/articles/6630628/Shelby-County/Tennessee/Shelby-County-Elections-asks-for-supervisors-poll-worker-pay-increases-and-compression-fixes-ahead-of-2026-election","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630628-779e46a6821f3f47f4a9eefe5c44d477/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437927&Signature=I0Mubhn~PW6onw9YawozYE9P-y5-pQ5LftSc68Hch9TBppxsW66YjM5II6Y8Y6BHaTvr4L5QgU6cJcjgYRr4MiiSgLcU-ufwtr5Oj0txa~HH~ts~rMQ2wVckXTOzvNLrSMh9MZtO7nGNcISZDfghAyBAVLTrCu9XAsMJdbTLO-Y172--EEOXfYRF4SZQHefu2wcvwbWnywEClMeTI~mw~QmAtZc~gAnVgw7dw7iDeXW3I7JV~WXDWbb5vG15~DjncUlwyah2V3YmAEfMuubvHhj55IN8zp~Ax3HgguFbU0pFRfeA0n~JspxSj1kklBhhOfcr42CM11YeTqfcXOLAtg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Linda Phillips, Administrator of Elections, and Chairman Luttrell (Chairman Lucknow in the transcript) briefed the budget subcommittee on March 19 about staffing, pay and operational needs ahead of 2026 elections.

Phillips said the office is preparing for a busy 2026 cycle, including a probable primary and many open seats, and that the office expects a large number of candidates. She said the office’s most pressing problems are salary compression among full-time administrative staff, a need for an additional supervisor to manage voter services during elections, and higher poll-worker pay.

Why it matters: Elections offices rely on temporary and seasonal staff each cycle; salary compression and inadequate supervision can increase mistakes and reduce responsiveness for voters and candidates.

Key requests and context

- Salary compression: Phillips explained that long-tenured administrative employees now make only slightly more than temporary workers hired for elections because temporary pay rates have risen. She asked the subcommittee for $27,000 to provide raises for nine people (an average of about $1.53/hour in Phillips’s estimate) to correct compression.

- Voter services manager: Phillips asked for a new permanent voter services manager (position at a pay grade she described as roughly $65,000 plus fringe) to supervise up to 19 temporary voter-service staff during election peaks and to produce training materials and manage special projects outside elections.

- Poll worker pay increase: Phillips proposed raising poll-worker pay from about $15/hour to $20/hour. She estimated the cost at approximately $40,000 for a non-presidential election and about $100,000 in a presidential year; actual amounts vary by number of poll workers used.

- Enhanced election-night reporting: Phillips described an “enhanced voting” election-night reporting system the office tested in recent elections. She said it corrected known problems with the prior reporting tool (notably precinct reporting counts) and that the vendor-provided system was funded within the office’s existing O&M budget, so she was not seeking additional funding for it.

Quotes and evidence

- “Poll workers are the backbone of our elections and they haven't been increased since 2021,” Linda Phillips said of her pay proposal.
- Phillips said the enhanced election-night reporting system is “vastly better” than the prior system and that it solves a longstanding problem where early-voting card uploads made it appear all precincts had reported.

What commissioners asked and next steps

Commissioners asked whether the department was proposing new voting machines (it was not) and requested written backup on specific pay-grade and cost details. Phillips said she would provide detailed documentation for the subcommittee to consider. No votes were taken; this was a presentation for FY26 budget planning.

Ending

Phillips said the office will provide written cost details and requested position descriptions and urged commissioners to consider pay-compression and poll-worker-pay increases before the 2026 election cycle.","The Election Commission told the budget subcommittee it needs a voter services manager, higher poll-worker stipends and salary-compression adjustments to handle expected candidate crowds and heavier workloads ahead of the May 2026 local elections.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6630632,"Shelby County district attorney seeks Microsoft 365 migration, paralegals and technical analysts in FY26 budget pitch",450,3752000,4202000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2690375-da851591457dfd2ec486864525f0a167&start=3752&end=4202","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2690375-da851591457dfd2ec486864525f0a167/thumbnail_3752000.jpg","/articles/6630632/Shelby-County/Tennessee/Shelby-County-district-attorney-seeks-Microsoft-365-migration-paralegals-and-technical-analysts-in-FY26-budget-pitch","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630632-46ee969e2a48221952f1873590b7306c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437927&Signature=GTjyQ~HJB-JmT7EYQiujHheOnKULeVuSDb7t5PHIN~6KQYuv6nOA~y1enXvKhnn-a0ojCaVKCxzdxjv9sCcU~LzwhSRJ4a3po-p6RHi2Vcv~g7X96KxMl1TmfXm43-eVh3pwRh541D54ljv0MsITSv3xSGX4PYXem3DOR3-ZMMnMsFkIrb74OklMKi5BK0PpFRZz-45i8Aip3SGLrxK7KeAlU81ntB~mxm-kFnl7GLhsLIV5Svslc72QATiLKARfSetvRL17ElqxwXQSl-AEZgEgUfpH1q9ini-RHEDwAeir~rM9-HvUPooBN35wgezSh-DeGrRSZBYZ15lCDddv9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Adam Sherritt, Shelby County District Attorney, and Chief Administrative Officer Jessica Indangaro presented the DA’s FY26 requests to the Budget Subcommittee on March 19, highlighting IT modernization, additional paralegals and technical litigation staff.

Sherritt said the office seeks migration to Microsoft 365 because the DA’s current operating systems are “12 to 15 years old” and the upgrade would align the office with county IT standards and improve security and collaboration. He said the state will pay one-time transition costs and state employee licenses; the county would be asked to cover county employee licensing costs.

Why it matters: The DA’s office handles major criminal prosecutions, discovery and evidence presentation. Upgrading IT and adding staff, the office said, will speed case processing and improve the presentation of digital evidence to juries.

Key requests and context

- Microsoft 365 migration: The office said the state will pay transition costs and state licenses; the DA asked the county to fund county-seat licensing costs. The DA’s presentation said the migration had been discussed in prior budget cycles but was not completed.

- Off-site storage: The DA requested an increase of $37,500 for off-site storage costs on a transitional basis, with the expectation that the state may assume the cost over time.

- Paralegals: The office asked for additional paralegals to reduce a small existing shortfall; presenters said six paralegals were previously added via a mid-year amendment and the office still needs more to reach an optimal staffing level for vertical trial teams.

- Technical litigation analysts and video technicians: The office requested additional technical litigation analysts to prepare and edit large volumes of body-worn camera and other digital evidence. Presenters said the office currently relies on two video technicians and seeks two more to maintain trial readiness and presentation quality.

- Drug Task Force temporary agent: The DA said a temporary agent would be self-funded from forfeiture revenues and requested budget permission to add the position while reimbursements occur.

Quotes and evidence

- “We have seen significant declines in crime across all categories,” Adam Sherritt said, summarizing recent quarterly trends the office included in its annual report.
- Sherritt also noted that “the number of trials in 2024 increased by about 60% over 2023,” a figure he said the office attributes to policy and case-prioritization changes.

What commissioners asked and next steps

Commissioners asked for specific pay grades and exact salary figures for proposed positions; the DA’s office said Oracle/enterprise calculations provide the precise salary-plus-fringe totals and committed to returning with detailed position descriptions and pay grades. No formal actions were taken; the presentation was for subcommittee consideration as part of the FY26 process.

Ending

The DA’s office said it will file written job descriptions and precise salary-grade numbers for requested positions and will coordinate with county IT and finance to refine cost-sharing for the Microsoft 365 migration.","The DA's office told the budget subcommittee it needs modern email and collaboration tools, more paralegals, and additional video/technical litigation analysts to support courtroom presentations and discovery work; part of the request is transitional and some costs may be shared with the state.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6630636,"Shelby County General Sessions courts seek new staff, tech upgrades and decade-long archiving in FY26 budget presentations",5929,449000,6378000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2690375-da851591457dfd2ec486864525f0a167&start=449&end=6378","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2690375-da851591457dfd2ec486864525f0a167/thumbnail_449000.jpg","/articles/6630636/Shelby-County/Tennessee/Shelby-County-General-Sessions-courts-seek-new-staff-tech-upgrades-and-decade-long-archiving-in-FY26-budget-presentations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630636-8eadf32e1f14ba78406291e125d279da/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437927&Signature=Vwj3q5UfyeevliEYpB4Pd0ZJn9ilh5LqdT7z3uhYjw4UGrJsLVLYBI0vRkOeC6axRlEh1dhz0F3wSvHJslwL3dCGvkr2Pvll42RNxbuA9wA9nffzEwzfBUcTwJ0kcQXjJdB0c7cYxk2cNsPMkvaD7rWTEBSpgoSNJB32Rnb9ADUHtvdpeUeU5arQ4JReUunv6B9Y3Zqsc2vNDgQXDGWstvc4YtSO~9X8S8eddirVJsy4-kjuB3rwPza2VTvZGTczLlg98910A1q~Hb0seQMWiqarRmcboo2GzmdSxMiYfrNhdxYsSw5iqd9AzEjF6s6YwiSLn57osNOdoTBYcCPGDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tammy Sawyer, General Sessions court clerk, told the Shelby County Budget Subcommittee on March 19 that the General Sessions Court Clerk’s Office is asking the county for staff and technology funding in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

Sawyer said the office has 47 employees and 15 temporary staff, with eight vacancies, and that “about 84% of our budget is paying salaries and benefits.” She described recent hiring and backlog reductions and asked for new positions and equipment to continue progress.

The request includes funding for two countywide technology projects and staff increases. Sawyer said the clerk’s office is seeking a share of $71,750 for an upgrade to the Tyler case-management system and roughly $71,000 to begin a county-wide archival digitization effort with the Register of Deeds. The office also proposed 22 additional positions spread across civil and criminal courts and finance to address turnover and audit findings, Sawyer said.

Why it matters: General Sessions handles criminal and civil dockets across Shelby County and serves as a data source for multiple agencies. Court leaders told commissioners staffing and outdated systems are constraining case processing and reporting.

Key details and context

- Workload and staffing: Sawyer said the office has been filling vacancies since January and hiring “2 to 3 new employees every two weeks” but still needs more staff because the operation is paper-heavy and the county’s largest court. She said civil filings turnaround recently improved to about a 4–5 week cycle and garnishment processing to roughly 6–8 weeks, after overtime and extra Saturday shifts helped reduce a backlog.

- Technology and interoperability: Sawyer described two pending system upgrades: e-filing for civil cases and a “pay it” payment platform to accept online and chip payments, plus a Tyler upgrade for criminal-side search and analytics. She said the Tyler work will improve data reporting to state systems, which currently requires substantial manual effort.

- Records archiving: Sawyer said the office stores records across three warehouses and an off-site county archive and proposed a long-term digitization effort starting with loose dockets and bound and mental-health dockets. She told commissioners the Register of Deeds has identified priorities and the clerk’s office will “work with the register of deeds to move forward with this archiving.” Sawyer characterized the archiving as likely a decade-long project.

- Audit and finance controls: Sawyer cited repeated audit findings and asked for strengthened finance staffing to improve controls; she said the office has experienced turnover among financial analysts and accountants and asked that some of the 22 requested positions be placed in finance.

Recovery and specialty courts also presented budget needs during the General Sessions block of the subcommittee meeting and asked the county to pick up positions or costs that previously came from grants or special revenue:

- Drug Court (Judge Lee Wilson): The drug court reported growth (from about 125 participants a year ago to 135) but said a special revenue fund historically paid seven positions and that fund has declined because assessed fines fell. The court asked the county to share operating costs to avoid cutting services; leaders said they were not requesting new positions but asked the county to replace dwindling revenue that currently supports seven civil-service positions.

- Mental Health Court (Judge Sheila Bruce Renfro): Judge Renfro said the county currently provides no direct county funding or positions for mental health court and requested county support to sustain and expand services. She described a recent $2.7 million grant used for services and ARPA support that will phase out and said the court is asking for positions, fringe, supplies and contracts totaling what she called “a big” $800,000 (as stated in the meeting) to continue services and avoid scaling back at a time when roughly a third of the jail population shows signs of mental illness.

- Veterans Court (Jerry Easter, director): The Veterans Court asked for one county-funded peer recovery specialist, which Easter said has a fully burdened cost of $62,193.59. Easter said many treatment and therapy costs remain funded through VA benefits or outside grants and that the requested position is front-line support rather than a request to fund treatment.

- Environmental Court (Judge Dandridge): Judge Dandridge requested $60,839.34 to fund a part-time assistant to support a newly formed Shelby County Environmental Court Foundation that assists indigent and elderly residents with property repairs and code compliance; he also requested a modest pay upgrade for an existing manager-B position to reflect expanded duties.

Quotes from presenters

- “We will be making a request to work with the register of deeds to move forward with this archiving,” Tammy Sawyer said.
- “Currently, the county is not funding mental health court at all. No funds whatsoever. No positions whatsoever,” Judge Sheila Bruce Renfro said when describing mental health court’s funding gap.

What commissioners asked and next steps

Commissioners asked for follow-up details and clarifications: Commissioner Wright pressed for written breakdowns of personnel asks and requested follow-up site visits to courthouse offices. Presenters were asked to supply written budgets and pay-grade details for requested positions. No votes were taken; the presentations were for the subcommittee’s review as part of FY26 budget development.

Ending

Presenters left materials with the subcommittee and said they would provide written backup for specific position requests, precise salary grades, and additional cost estimates for the Tyler upgrade and the archiving project ahead of budget decisions later this spring.","General Sessions leaders told the county budget subcommittee they need more staff, system upgrades and an archival partnership to reduce case backlogs and modernize operations; several recovery and specialty courts requested funding to replace dwindling special revenue.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County deputy finance officer warns state bill could force $82 million gap and a 36¢ tax-rate jump for Shelby County

Shelby County Elections asks for supervisors, poll-worker pay increases and compression fixes ahead of 2026 election

Shelby County district attorney seeks Microsoft 365 migration, paralegals and technical analysts in FY26 budget pitch

Shelby County General Sessions courts seek new staff, tech upgrades and decade-long archiving in FY26 budget presentations