Hickman County TN

Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Proverbs 14:34

Budget, Finance & Human Resources · Meeting · Jan 12, 2026

Mon, Jan 12, 2026

Oversees the annual budget process, departmental funding requests, and personnel policies including hiring, compensation, and benefits.

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Outline

This outline was generated by an LLM from a transcript and may contain errors or inaccuracies. Prefer the original recording when available.

The committee postponed a beer-license item from the preceding session after a commissioner raised late-notice concerns and said a nearby property owner opposed the permit; the postponement passed 10–3. In the Budget, Finance & Human Resources meeting, the committee then approved a series of budget amendments unanimously, including sheriff’s revenue and spending adjustments, election funding for the recent special election and upcoming May primary, an open-meetings display system addition, and highway fund reclassifications tied to retirements and an insurance deductible.

The most consequential discussion was EMS financing for new cardiac monitors and Lucas CPR devices: the committee backed pursuing state approval for a six-year lease on seven units totaling about $555,625.04, while also signaling interest in reducing the financed amount through opioid-settlement or health-foundation support before final county approval. Other notable threads included adoption of a revised county personnel policy on rehire/leave accrual, a water-grant spending update showing about $1.8 million spent and $2.3 million remaining from a $4.1 million grant, a property-assessor request to begin year-two indexing under state law to stabilize the tax base and avoid costly ratio studies, opioid-board audit and compliance issues with several grantees, next year’s budget schedule, and a commissioner’s comparative review arguing Hickman County taxes and debt are not out of line with peer counties.

Call to Order and quorum 5:25

  • 5:25 Budget, Finance & Human Resources meeting called to order; roll call showed 13 present, 1 absent and a quorum.

Approval of Agenda, Public Comments, and Minutes 6:07

Public comments 6:23

  • 6:30 Public comment urged using opioid-settlement funds for EMS equipment, especially cardiac monitors and newer “plunger-type” CPR devices, arguing they would improve reliability, help retain EMS staff, and fit opioid-response purposes.
  • 7:23 The same speaker opposed creating a navigator position to administer opioid funds, describing it as less than a full-time need and suggesting the money would be better directed to equipment or smaller direct grants.

Approval items 6:07

  • Agenda approved without dispute.
  • 8:18 Prior meeting minutes approved without dispute.

Preceding committee item: beer-license postponement 1:06

  • 1:06 During agenda discussion in the prior session, a commissioner said the committee had only received the item information on Friday, reported calls about the location, and said a house within 300 feet had an owner in Ohio who opposed the permit.
  • 1:45 The commissioner also cited a building within 775 feet on church-camp property and said he could not confirm its use, asking to delay action until more could be checked.
  • 2:54 Discussion noted the public notice had run twice in the newspaper and that, under the law as described in the meeting, objectors within 300 feet would need to be present to object.
  • 3:37 The motion was reframed from “table” to postponing until next month.
  • 4:08 Roll-call vote to postpone until next month passed 10 yes, 3 no; the item will return next month.

Budget amendments 8:34

Finance Director report 8:34

Budget Amendment 2640 8:34

  • 8:41 Cleanup amendment and insurance recovery adjustments for the Assessor of Property, Trustee, and Sheriff’s Department.
  • 8:58 Approved unanimously by roll call; all present voted yes.

Budget Amendment 2641 9:24

  • 9:31 Sheriff’s Department amendment to recognize expected revenue from sale of impounded vehicles, estimated around $35,000.
  • 9:45 Of that, $15,000 would be used for maintenance/repair and law-enforcement supplies.
  • 9:52 The second part budgets smokeless-tobacco sales as both revenue and expenditure.
  • 10:15 Approved unanimously by roll call.

Budget Amendment 2642 10:38

  • 10:44 Amendment for two TVs for the open-meeting system in the courtroom, funded from the direct appropriation grant used for the rest of the system.
  • 11:10 Discussion explained the TVs would likely be mounted on each side of the room and paired with new meeting software so the audience could see motions and individual votes live.
  • 11:40 Estimated size discussed as about 85 inches each, or as large as the budget allows; one commissioner also wanted the displays to show the budget materials now projected on the wall.
  • 13:31 Clarification that the currently purchased system is for full county-court meetings, with committee use possibly requiring extra cost.
  • 14:39 Approved unanimously by roll call.

Budget Amendment 2643 15:10

  • 15:17 Election amendment to finish paying for the last special election and budget for the upcoming May primary.
  • 15:43 Approved unanimously by roll call.

Budget Amendment 2644 16:11

  • 16:18 Drug-fund amendment requested by the Sheriff to use additional money to finish the year for veterans’ services and miscellaneous costs related to the drug dog.
  • 16:34 Approved unanimously by roll call.

Budget Amendment 2645 16:58

  • 17:03 Highway-fund reclassification recommended by the Highway Board.
  • 17:09 One part addressed reclassification needs tied to two long-term employee retirements.
  • 17:14 The second part covered an insurance deductible.
  • 17:28 Approved unanimously by roll call.

HR business 17:54

County personnel policy update 17:54

  • 18:07 Staff reported department heads had worked toward a more unified personnel policy after prior committee concerns about liability.
  • 18:23 The main substantive change was on rehire credit and leave accrual for future hires after passage of the policy.
  • 18:36 The policy excludes Highway Department and school employees from prior-year service recognition for leave accrual under this provision.
  • 18:48 The rule applies only to people previously employed by Hickman County in a full-time position.
  • 18:54 To receive credit, the former employee must have left in good standing and be rehired within 1 year of separation.
  • 19:06 If rehired after that 1-year window, the person starts over as a new hire.
  • 19:12 Only full years of prior service count; no partial years will be recognized.
  • 20:05 Motion to recommend the updated policy to the full County Commission.
  • 20:12 A commissioner asked whether department heads supported it; staff present indicated they did.
  • 20:41 Approved by voice vote.

New Business / Agenda Items 21:05

ARP/water grant spending update for Centerville 21:14

  • 21:19 The chair circulated an update on the county’s prior grant to the Town of Centerville, described as about $4.1 million.
  • 22:20 No action was requested; the intent was to show project-by-project spending, estimated completion dates, and remaining balances.
  • 22:42 The update showed about $1.8 million spent and roughly $2.3 million remaining.
  • 22:55 Finance said the grant funds must be spent by the end of the year.
  • 23:12 Commissioners confirmed the report appears to include engineering work to run water to communities in District 7 that have sought service for a long time.
  • 23:25 Discussion recalled that part of the original understanding was to let South Central handle engineering and planning so projects would be “shovel ready” when future grant rounds open.
  • 24:09 The chair said he would try to get another update by August so commissioners can track whether the remaining balance is getting obligated in time.

Assessor of Property: proposed indexing plan 24:34

  • 24:57 The Assessor explained that a law pushed last April by state Comptroller officials now allows counties to do “indexing” in year two of a four-year reappraisal cycle.
  • 25:24 He said the state’s broader direction is toward shorter appraisal cycles, potentially even 2 years in the future; Hickman is already on a 4-year plan.
  • 25:43 Indexing in year two was presented as a way to avoid taking “a big bite out of the apple” during reappraisal by making smaller adjustments earlier.
  • 26:02 He said the recent ratio study cost nearly $800,000, which hurt a county Hickman’s size and also reduced benefits to elders and disabled veterans.
  • 26:26 The office has reorganized property groupings from 9 neighborhoods to almost 300 neighborhoods so sales are compared more precisely with similar properties.
  • 27:15 The state approved the presented plan the previous Friday; local approval still must come from County Commission and then the Board of Equalization.
  • 27:33 Explanation of method: if comparable homes in a neighborhood sell above current values, the whole neighborhood moves accordingly; if they sell below, values must come down as well.
  • 27:52 He said year-two indexing would still require a certified tax rate, so any assessment growth would be equalized as in a normal reappraisal year.
  • 28:05 Main justification was stabilizing the tax base across the four-year cycle and avoiding another major revenue hit that cannot be recovered until full reappraisal.
  • 29:47 In response to questions, he said adjustments apply across the defined neighborhood, not only to the property that sold.
  • 31:28 For rural settings, he said the office would isolate house-and-small-acreage comparables so broad farm acreage is not improperly swept into a neighborhood increase.
  • 32:16 The Assessor asked the committee to recommend the plan to full commission this month if possible.
  • 32:31 Motion made and seconded to send it to County Commission.
  • 33:07 Approved by voice vote.
  • 33:14 Follow-up clarified that a resolution will still be needed for the full County Commission agenda.

EMS financing lease for heart monitors and CPR devices 33:41

EMS report 34:00

  • 34:07 EMS said replacing monitors and CPR devices has been roughly five years in the making.
  • 34:14 The request is to purchase Stryker LifePak 35 cardiac monitors and Lucas CPR devices after evaluating alternatives.
  • 34:46 EMS addressed an earlier committee impression that the ZOLL bid was cheaper; staff said Stryker’s product itself was lower, but ZOLL omitted battery chargers and truck-mounting hardware.
  • 35:19 The omitted items account for nearly $40,000 in added cost needed to secure units in ambulances and charge spare batteries at stations.
  • 35:37 EMS said the Stryker proposal includes 8 years of full warranty coverage.
  • 36:04 Both vendors offered leases with either buyout at the end or turn-in/replacement options.
  • 36:22 Total Stryker cost stated as $555,625.04.
  • 36:28 Financing options discussed:
    • 3 years at 0% interest.
    • 6 years with annual payments at 2% interest.
  • 37:25 Finance said a direct purchase via capital-outlay borrowing would likely cost at least 5%, so leasing looked like the most workable path if all units are acquired at once.
  • 37:58 Finance said the county must get permission from the state Comptroller’s office before entering the financing lease, and the committee must recommend a term.
  • 38:23 It was also noted the payments could come from debt service or county general because it is a financing lease.
  • 38:35 Committee members pressed whether a decision tonight would lock in the county before exploring opioid-settlement support or help from the health foundation.
  • 39:30 Finance said opioid funds likely could not simply make an annual transfer for the lease but might purchase one monitor, or part of the equipment, if justified under opioid-use rules.
  • 39:54 About $26,000 remained in opioid funds at present.
  • 40:24 Staff said the health foundation had not yet been approached, but that was identified as another possible source if equipment were bought outright.
  • 41:27 Finance warned that the state submission has to specify the amount and term; changing the amount or term later would likely require resubmission to the Comptroller.
  • 42:21 Annual payment examples discussed:
    • $185,208.34 for the 3-year option.
    • $97,453.52 for the 6-year option.
  • 43:00 A commissioner noted the $97,000-plus annual payment would be entirely new money in the budget and roughly equal to about 2 pennies on the tax rate using the current budget frame.
  • 43:19 EMS said a $30,000 grant is already in process and could be applied toward payment.
  • 44:10 EMS contrasted the proposed monitors with the current older ZOLL units, saying the county is now 3 years beyond the update-support window on its existing monitors.
  • 45:20 EMS emphasized Stryker’s service model: software updates are pushed regularly and installed through a service tech/computer process, unlike the county’s experience with ZOLL.
  • 47:02 A commissioner asked whether opioid funds could be used annually toward lease payments; Finance said it would be cleaner and easier to justify purchasing specific units rather than committing recurring annual lease support.
  • 48:46 Members discussed whether outside purchases of one or two units could later reduce the lease amount, but Finance repeated that any material change would likely require a new state submission.
  • 50:22 Several commissioners said they did not want to foreclose other funding conversations but also did not want to delay the state-approval process.
  • 51:15 Finance clarified the sequence: committee recommendation, state Comptroller review, then a later county-commission resolution for actual authorization.
  • 53:35 A proposal date of March 16 was referenced from the financing materials.
  • 55:28 Motion made to pursue state approval for leasing seven units on the 6-year term, while expressing intent to keep seeking opioid or health-foundation help that could reduce the final financed amount before county approval.
  • 56:17 Roll-call vote passed unanimously; all present voted yes.

Opioid funding update and governance concerns 56:47

  • 56:59 Finance summarized opioid-board activity over the past year.
  • 57:05 The board distributed $460,700 to county organizations for prevention, treatment, justice-system, school-based, community, and recovery programs.
  • 57:54 Staff said organizations generally had good intentions, but a board audit found some spending outside approved parameters.
  • 58:06 Several groups are being asked to repay money, not for fraud but because expenditures did not fit what the state would allow.
  • 58:29 Because of those compliance challenges, the board had discussed using a navigator—either contracted or part-time—to manage coordination and compliance.
  • 58:56 The County Mayor explained the navigator concept as a central point of contact to track spending, identify evidence-based programs, maintain compliance with settlement rules, coordinate providers and partners, and prepare required reports.
  • 1:00:57 He stressed the position would be funded solely from opioid-settlement proceeds, with no direct impact on the county general fund.
  • 1:01:28 On cardiac monitors, the mayor added that state guidance likely would allow opioid money to purchase perhaps one monitor based on the opioid-use share.
  • 1:02:05 In response to questions, staff said the opioid board has 7 voting members, with the mayor and finance director serving as nonvoting advisers.
  • 1:02:19 Funding requests were made through an application process, with stated purposes and contracts reviewed through the county attorney to fit allowable-use language.
  • 1:03:36 On repayment examples:
    • 1:03:41 Pearl Town Housing reportedly returned its money rather than undergo the full audit process.
    • 1:04:05 Bernard Community Center used funds for bathroom work to become ADA compliant for programming, but the state said that use was not allowable under the opioid terms; a repayment plan is being developed, and a revised in-kind proposal may be presented.
    • 1:05:21 Hope and Recovery had questioned purchases including religious materials, dental charges, and eyeglass charges; staff said such personal-support costs might be defensible only with a stronger vetting/documentation process linking them to opioid recovery.
    • 1:06:03 Booker T. organization expenses included marketing and some eyeglass/dental items; some marketing might be allowable, but that group also volunteered to repay certain costs.
  • 1:07:07 The mayor said other counties are seeing similar issues and that state contacts told him Hickman County is actually ahead of many counties in implementing the opioid process.
  • 1:07:40 He said a few counties already use navigators and state contacts viewed that as a sound model because it centralizes paperwork and reporting.
  • 1:08:40 Several commissioners strongly objected to hiring a navigator:
    • 1:08:48 One argued the mayor’s office and finance office should handle the work rather than “spend money to learn how to spend money.”
    • 1:10:35 Another questioned whether the board itself should be streamlined instead of paying staff overhead from opioid funds.
    • 1:12:24 Another said the committee should learn from initial mistakes and narrow the board until members understand the process better.
  • 1:13:08 Discussion noted board membership may change soon and raised the idea of placing a county commissioner on the board for better coordination with funding decisions.
  • 1:14:07 One commissioner declined informal nomination because of a conflict as pastor connected to an organization receiving opioid funds.
  • 1:15:05 The mayor said there is no state-mandated composition and, despite criticism, Hickman already has the smallest opioid board among nearby counties he checked.
  • 1:16:01 No formal motion was made on the navigator or board structure.
  • 1:16:08 Finance said detailed opioid-board minutes and audit materials would be included in packets or available in the office for commissioners who wanted a deeper review.
  • 1:16:35 A commissioner recalled that some funding applicants had already been denied through a structured rating process.

Budget schedule 1:17:06

  • 1:17:12 Proposed budget schedule for the coming cycle was circulated in packets.
  • 1:17:19 The chair said the schedule had also been sent to the school system because last year’s earlier timing created issues as school funding numbers arrive later.
  • 1:17:47 Motion to approve the schedule.
  • 1:17:59 Approved by voice vote.

Commissioner remarks on tax burden and growth 1:18:07

  • 1:18:13 A commissioner said he had researched how to answer public claims that Hickman County taxes are “too high” or “out of control.”
  • 1:20:10 He compared county property-tax collections per resident among nearby counties:
    • 1:20:45 Williamson County about $1,396 per person.
    • 1:21:03 Maury County about $759 per person.
    • 1:21:16 Dickson County about $720 per person.
    • 1:21:22 Humphreys County about $772 per person.
    • 1:21:30 Lewis County about $371 per person.
    • 1:21:37 Hickman County about $590 per person.
  • 1:21:49 He argued Hickman is above Lewis but below the rest of the comparison group on that measure.
  • 1:21:54 He also compared wheel-tax rates:
    • Hickman $35.50
    • Williamson $25.70
    • Maury $25
    • Dickson $60
    • Lewis $65
    • Humphreys $0
  • 1:22:28 A second comparison covered debt per resident:
    • 1:22:36 Williamson County about $4,400+ per person.
    • 1:22:44 Maury County about $2,900+ per person.
    • 1:22:52 Dickson County nearly $1,300 per person.
    • 1:22:59 Humphreys County about $2,000+ per person.
    • 1:23:10 Lewis County about $553 per person.
    • 1:23:16 Hickman County about $586 per person.
  • 1:23:17 He said Hickman had been around $1,500 per person in debt when he first joined the commission in 2007, so the current figure represents long-term improvement.
  • 1:24:00 His policy conclusion was that “growth doesn’t equal lower taxes”; unmanaged or wrong growth can require more services and push taxes higher, not lower.
  • 1:25:03 He said the county had made an “unprecedented” public-safety investment over the last 4 years, particularly through support of the sheriff’s operations.
  • 1:25:38 He acknowledged unintended costs from that strategy, including higher jail expenses and inmate healthcare, but defended the spending as making the county safer.
  • 1:26:22 He credited Judge Amy Puckett with helping reduce jail population pressure.

Open-meeting voting system test 1:27:09

  • 1:27:15 The chair said the next budget meeting will include a practice session using the new electronic voting system so members can get comfortable before the full February meeting.
  • 1:27:26 The mock exercise is intended to test vote entry and display functions before live use.

Adjournment 1:27:46

  • Motion to adjourn was made and seconded; meeting adjourned.

Key figures and statistics

Figure Type Context / topic Timestamp
13 present, 1 absent Attendance Budget, Finance & Human Resources quorum 5:54
300 feet Distance Nearby house cited in beer-license objection 1:27
775 feet Distance Church-camp building cited in beer-license discussion 1:45
10–3 Vote Motion to postpone beer-license item until next month 4:42
$35,000 Revenue estimate Sheriff impounded-vehicle sale estimate 9:45
$15,000 Expense Portion of sheriff vehicle-sale revenue for maintenance, repair, and supplies 9:45
2 TVs Equipment count Open-meeting courtroom display addition 10:44
$1,500 Unit cost estimate Approximate cost per TV discussed 11:40
85 inches Equipment size Desired TV size for courtroom displays 11:40
May primary Election timing Amendment funding upcoming election 15:17
2 Personnel count Long-term highway employees retired, prompting reclassification 17:09
1 year Time period Rehire window to preserve prior service recognition under personnel policy 18:59
$4.1 million Grant amount County grant to Town of Centerville 21:54
$1.8 million Expenditure Amount spent from Centerville grant 22:42
$2.3 million Balance Remaining Centerville grant funds 22:49
4 years Time period Current reappraisal cycle 25:24
2 years Time period Possible future shorter appraisal cycle mentioned by assessor 25:29
$800,000 Cost Recent ratio study cost 26:02
9 Neighborhood count Prior neighborhood grouping count for appraisal comparisons 27:01
almost 300 Neighborhood count Current neighborhood grouping count after assessor’s restructuring 27:01
year two Process timing When indexing would occur under plan 25:43
5 years Time period EMS equipment replacement said to be in the works this long 34:07
$40,000 Added cost Chargers and mounting hardware omitted from competing EMS bid 35:19
8 years Warranty term Stryker full warranty coverage 35:37
$555,625.04 Purchase total Stryker monitors and Lucas CPR devices total 36:22
3 years Financing term EMS lease option at 0% 36:28
0% Interest rate EMS 3-year lease option 36:28
6 years Financing term EMS lease option at 2% 36:34
2% Interest rate EMS 6-year lease option 36:34
5% Interest rate Approximate capital-outlay borrowing cost if purchased outright 37:37
$26,000 Fund balance Approximate opioid funds remaining now 39:54
$185,208.34 Annual payment EMS 3-year lease payment 42:21
$97,453.52 Annual payment EMS 6-year lease payment 42:38
2 pennies Tax-rate equivalent Commissioner’s rough estimate of annual budget impact of 6-year payment 43:12
$30,000 Grant EMS grant in process to offset equipment payment 43:19
3 years Time period Existing monitors said to be beyond update-support window 46:34
7 Equipment count Units proposed in EMS lease motion 55:44
6-year term Financing term Term approved for EMS state-approval request 55:44
$460,700 Grant distribution Opioid funds distributed in past year 57:05
7 Board membership Opioid board voting members 1:02:05
$1,396 Per-capita tax figure Williamson County property-tax collection per resident 1:20:45
$759 Per-capita tax figure Maury County property-tax collection per resident 1:21:03
$720 Per-capita tax figure Dickson County property-tax collection per resident 1:21:16
$772 Per-capita tax figure Humphreys County property-tax collection per resident 1:21:22
$371 Per-capita tax figure Lewis County property-tax collection per resident 1:21:30
$590 Per-capita tax figure Hickman County property-tax collection per resident 1:21:37
$35.50 Tax rate / fee Hickman County wheel tax 1:21:54
$25.70 Tax rate / fee Williamson County wheel tax 1:21:54
$25 Tax rate / fee Maury County wheel tax 1:22:01
$60 Tax rate / fee Dickson County wheel tax 1:22:01
$65 Tax rate / fee Lewis County wheel tax 1:22:01
$0 Tax rate / fee Humphreys County wheel tax 1:22:07
$4,400+ Per-capita debt Williamson County debt per resident 1:22:36
$2,900+ Per-capita debt Maury County debt per resident 1:22:44
nearly $1,300 Per-capita debt Dickson County debt per resident 1:22:52
$2,000+ Per-capita debt Humphreys County debt per resident 1:22:59
$553 Per-capita debt Lewis County debt per resident 1:23:10
$586 Per-capita debt Hickman County debt per resident 1:23:16
$1,500 Per-capita debt Approximate Hickman County debt per resident in 2007 1:23:17
2007 Year Commissioner’s reference point for historic debt levels 1:23:17
4 years Time period Public-safety investment period cited by commissioner 1:25:03

External vendors, brands, and software

Name Type Context / topic Timestamp
Stryker Company Preferred EMS vendor for LifePak 35 monitors; compared against ZOLL 34:39
LifePak 35 Brand Cardiac monitor platform EMS wants to acquire 34:14
Lucas Brand CPR devices requested by EMS 34:17
ZOLL Company Competing EMS monitor bid discussed; said to omit chargers and mounts 34:53
UT Smart Initiative Company Advisor cited on opioid-fund allowability and navigator recommendation 39:59
South Central Company Referenced as handling engineering/planning tied to water-project readiness 23:25
Savoc Cooperative Company Cooperative purchasing contract referenced for EMS financing submission 52:46

Laws and policies

| Citation / name | Level | Type | Context / topic | Timestamp | |---|---|---|---| | county personnel policy | County | Policy | Revised HR policy on rehire credit, leave accrual, and service recognition | 17:54 | | reappraisal indexing law passed last April | State | Law | Assessor’s authority to conduct year-two indexing under four-year cycle | 25:09 | | certified tax rate | State | Policy | Assessor said indexing year would still require certified tax-rate equalization | 27:52 | | ADA | Federal | Law | Bernard Community Center bathroom work said not allowable under opioid spending rules despite ADA-compliance purpose | 1:04:14 |