Budget, Finance & Human Resources — Hickman County (Unofficial)

Budget, Finance & Human Resources · Meeting · Aug 10, 2026 · 5:15 PM The committee unanimously approved a series of budget amendments, with the biggest action carrying over $289,000 from property-sale proceeds for highway paving and reclassifying highway funds to correct salary miscalculations. Members also approved school board amendments to put two grants in place and added a floodplain management grant allocation to cover software and planning work. Other approved items included using $2,400 from the library’s property-sale reserve for a memorial bench and mural, and shifting trustee’s office funds from part-time pay to clerical personnel after an employee departure. The committee also approved temporary added payroll for a two-week overlap so the mayor’s office secretary can train an incoming replacement. Votes were unanimous by roll call, with early items passing 11-0 and later items 12-0. No separate human resources business, unfinished business, or other new business was taken up.

Budget, Finance & Human Resources · Work Session · Jun 4, 2026 The committee moved the FY budget package toward final adoption by unanimously reapproving the school budget recommendation it had previously made, including a 2-cent property tax increase and 3.1 cents in local option sales tax distribution for schools. It then separately considered the school system’s $400,000 capital request and instead approved a partial approach: an additional $200,000 transfer into Fund 151 plus $45,000 folded into Fund 151 as a one-time amount, with all present voting yes. The Solid Waste budget was also advanced, but members raised implementation concerns about how new commercial charges would be billed and whether the system would be ready by July; the measure passed with one no vote. To complete the tax package, the committee set the proposed overall property tax levy at a rounded 1.76 rather than the calculated 1.7515, with fund rates of 1.36 for County General, 0.04 for Highway, and 0.36 for Schools. Members also unanimously approved revenue adjustments to align the books with the new levy and reviewed the June schedule leading to the public hearing and final County Commission action.

Budget, Finance & Human Resources · Meeting · May 11, 2026 The committee’s main fight was over the school budget: members rejected a resubmitted plan built on a 4-cent property-tax increase, 9–4, citing concerns about the size and permanence of the increase, the higher local option sales tax assumption, and adding about $400,000 to capital through Fund 151. After a recess, they approved new guidance to send back to the school system, 11–2, calling for a 2-cent property-tax increase, a local option sales tax assumption aimed at about a 6% maintenance-of-effort increase, and treating the $405,000 capital request as a one-time use of fund balance rather than a permanent tax-backed addition. The committee otherwise approved a series of budget amendments with little opposition, including year-end cleanup items, $22,000 in opioid funds for the schools’ Prevention Now program, sheriff’s drug-fund money for K-9 recertification and training, FEMA Mission 8 note budgeting, school insurance recovery and TCAP revenue, and debt-collection attorney-fee reimbursement. Members also approved county employee medical-insurance changes, first adopting a tiered structure and then the full package of plan revisions, both by 13–0 votes. The mayor used his update to push back on rumors about EMS Station 3, saying it had not been closed by the State Fire Marshal, and the committee also approved a revised budget schedule.

Budget, Finance & Human Resources · Meeting · May 7, 2026 The committee approved $30,000 for the 32nd Judicial District Child Advocacy Center, with members told the money would help restore therapy services and support victim services, staffing stability, and prosecutions; the request passed 12–0 and was later added into the nonprofit line. The school budget drew the most debate, as district officials asked for an 8-cent property-tax increase mainly to cover the state-mandated rise in minimum teacher pay to $50,000 and also sought separate help on more than $400,000 in capital maintenance. Members challenged the school system’s use of a $2.9 million local-option sales-tax estimate as too low, and unanimously rejected the budget as presented, sending it back with guidance to use $3.3 million in sales tax and cut the property-tax request to about 4 pennies; the school budget is expected back quickly. The cafeteria fund was approved 12–0. Solid Waste received no final budget action, but members previewed later resolutions to raise residential and tipping fees and add a commercial/industrial charge, citing higher landfill costs, lost Perry County business, aging equipment, permit engineering needs, and state planning requirements, while also noting improved collections on delinquent accounts. The committee also reopened the general fund and nonprofit lines to add the Child Advocacy Center funding and a budget-neutral $100,000 broadband grant, then reapproved Fund 101 with those adjustments.

Budget, Finance & Human Resources · Work Session · Apr 23, 2026 The committee wrapped up most of its county budget review by approving the general fund budget as amended, fund 101, and the Highway Department budget, fund 131, both by 11–0 votes. Its main debate was over EMA/Civil Defense, where members chose the original budget version that keeps $20,000 in part-time pay rather than a tighter alternate, citing disaster workload and the risk of needing later amendments; that budget also passed 11–0. The committee also amended Veterans Services to shift from a full-time model to a part-time structure after the prior officer’s retirement and lack of applicants, cutting the salary line from $36,499 to $22,000 and zeroing out several vehicle, travel, gasoline, and other charges lines, while leaving basic office items in place; that amendment passed 11–0. Other reviewed budget variances included technology, trustee, jail, Extension, Soil Conservation, EMS, and Highway, with the broader package described against the county’s 3% salary and 4% growth targets. Members were told the current bottom-line figure was $3,872,067 and that $1,727,933.7 would be used from fund balance or reserves, while the school budget and fund 207 remain pending. The committee also canceled its April 30 budget meeting, set the school budget presentation for May 7, and moved the budget public hearing from May 18 to May 19.

Budget, Finance & Human Resources · Work Session · Apr 20, 2026 The work session focused heavily on employee health insurance, where the county’s broker said staying self-insured still makes more sense than returning to fully insured coverage even as high claims push up stop-loss costs. Staff said the county is barely covering the current year’s claims and is now projecting about $3.1 million for the county medical-insurance budget, up from roughly $2.6 million, while a proposed two-option plan would keep the current richer option at the same employee premium and add a no-premium base plan with a higher deductible and new ER copays; no vote was taken on the insurance design. On the budget side, the committee unanimously removed two community-center nonprofit requests totaling $20,000 and unanimously set the fire association appropriation at $160,680, a 3% increase. Members also revised smokeless-tobacco revenue upward to $160,000 and approved funds 122 and 127 as presented. They then unanimously approved a $400,000 transfer from fund 125 into fund 151 and approved fund 151 with that added amount. The committee’s broadest action was a unanimous directive to send higher-growth departmental budgets back for revision toward 3% salary growth and 4% overall growth unless special circumstances justify more, reflecting concern that spending is rising faster than county revenue.

Budget, Finance & Human Resources · Meeting · Apr 9, 2026 The committee unanimously approved six budget amendments by roll-call vote, including year-end cleanup transfers, sheriff’s vehicle purchase and maintenance funding, library window tinting from property-sale reserves, a solid-waste revenue and expense cleanup, and EMS purchase of a ventilator. A larger unresolved issue was the highway department’s request for authority to use up to $746,636.50 in one-time general-fund money tied to a prior 23-acre property sale for several road projects; members heard support for acting quickly because asphalt and oil costs had already risen about $40,000 to $45,000, but others wanted to weigh it against the full budget, tax-rate information, and the value of a penny, so no motion or vote was taken. The committee also heard nonprofit budget presentations from the senior center, Hickman Humane, Women Are Safe, Shady Grove Community Center, Pleasantville Community Center, and the Hickman County Fire Association, with no funding decisions made that night. Among those requests, fire representatives made the strongest funding appeal, saying $475,000 was the bare minimum compared with $156,000 last year, while a written packet showed fuller needs of $633,800. Members were also told the county was still awaiting the final certified tax rate, expected after April 20 and before month’s end, as budget meetings continue.

Budget, Finance & Human Resources · Meeting · Feb 9, 2026 The committee approved two budget amendments unanimously and noted January property-tax collections were at 56.71%, below 60% at the same point last year. Its main financial action was a unanimous vote authorizing staff to pursue a tax revenue anticipation note of up to $1.2 million through local banks for storm-disaster costs after learning a capital outlay note could not be used for cleanup; members were told FEMA reimbursement is expected at 75/25 and volunteer hours should cover the county’s 25% match for the initial response phase. Members also delayed any final decision on EMS heart monitors while outside funding options, including limited opioid-settlement use, are sorted out. The other major discussion focused on a 27-page court ruling that members said fully rejected the Water Authority’s appeal and supported the county’s and TDEC’s position in a long-running sewer corridor dispute. Committee members argued Hickman County taxpayers funded a $2.4 million sewer line but county residents and businesses have been denied or discouraged from getting service while development on the Dickson side continued. The committee voted by voice vote to have the county mayor, county attorney, budget chair, and finance director return next month with legal or strategic options. In the separate Beer Board portion of the meeting, a beer permit application was denied after nearby residents within the county’s 300-foot objection distance appeared and objected.

Budget, Finance & Human Resources · Meeting · Jan 12, 2026 The committee first noted that a beer-license item from the preceding session was postponed to next month on a 10–3 vote after concerns about late notice and nearby property objections. It then unanimously approved several budget amendments covering sheriff’s revenue and spending changes, election costs for the recent special election and upcoming May primary, two courtroom displays for the open-meetings system, and highway fund reclassifications tied to retirements and an insurance deductible. The committee also advanced a revised personnel policy on rehire credit and leave accrual, and recommended an assessor plan to begin year-two property indexing under state law to help stabilize the tax base and avoid costly ratio studies. The biggest item was EMS equipment financing: members unanimously backed seeking state approval for a six-year lease on seven cardiac monitors and Lucas CPR devices totaling about $555,625.04, while indicating they still want to reduce the financed amount if opioid-settlement money, a health-foundation contribution, or a pending grant can help before final county approval. Members also reviewed a water-grant update showing about $1.8 million spent and $2.3 million remaining from a roughly $4.1 million grant, with all funds needing to be spent by year’s end. Opioid-fund oversight drew criticism after an audit found some grantees spent money outside approved limits, prompting repayment efforts and debate over whether to add a navigator position; no formal action was taken on that governance issue. The committee also approved next year’s budget schedule and heard a commissioner argue that Hickman County’s taxes and debt compare reasonably with peer counties.

Budget, Finance & Human Resources · Meeting · Feb 13, 2023 The committee approved several budget amendments, including sheriff’s office increases for fuel and jail overtime, a UT Extension transfer for two computers, library book purchases funded by donations, insurance-recovery funds for a sheriff’s vehicle, a TCI training-equipment grant, and $200,000 to begin engineering and site preparation for the new EMS/sheriff multipurpose facility at Pinewood/Conway. It also approved the 2023–24 budget schedule without opposition. Members received an ARPA update showing about $1.85 million still unallocated and discussed a likely upcoming health-department request for a local match, but asked for more itemized information before any action. Sitting as the beer board, the committee approved the transfer of the Duck River Market beer permit in Shady Grove after discussing the limits of county authority under Tennessee law, the applicant’s disclosed misdemeanor history, and notice and distance rules. Near the end of the meeting, members also raised concerns about the need for an archive building and the county’s lease and occupancy situation in buildings it no longer owns.

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