TAZEWELL, Tenn. - The Claiborne County Commissioners gathered to discuss a full agenda earlier this week. The first order of business for the evening was the selection of a Commission Chairman and Chairman Pro Tem. Commissioner David Mundy was elected as chairman with a unanimous vote and Commissioner Mike “Otis” Campbell was selected as his deputy.

After review and approval of the agenda, the minutes of the previous month's meeting was approved. The Commission also approved City office reports, Notary and Notary bonds, the reappointment of 911 board members and James Estep as the County Attorney. The first item of new business was review and approval of the county budget. Ron Woody, a county government consultant, presented the Commission with a fifty-page financial analysis of the county's 2004/2005 actual (audited and accepted) expenditures, the county's 2005-2006 stated expenditures (from un-audited county reports) and the county's proposed current year budget. The bottom line that resulted from this in-depth analysis is that the county is almost $1.9 million short.

Correcting the county shortfall will require a property tax increase of $.91 (ninety-one cents). The commissioners were unhappy that they were expected to act on a problem of this magnitude without further study and decided to defer making a decision about the current year budget and probable tax increase until they had had a chance to study the issues in detail. The commission decided to defer further budget discussion until the following evening.

On a side note about the budget, several commissioners were quite concerned that their individual votes on the budget and tax increases become a matter of public record. Commissioner Dennis Estes made a motion to request that the Claiborne Progress report, by name, how each commissioner votes on financial matters that are decided by a roll call vote. The motion passed with an “aye” vote (Resolution 2006-001).

Other business items approved by the commission included approval for County Mayor Joe Tyler Duncan to seek bids for repair and replacement of the missing downspouts on the old county courthouse and approval to reimburse the sheriff's office for fuel costs related to picking up a prisoner from Louisiana. The commission also approved the expenditure of $817.09 to replace a piece of fence adjoined a parcel of land donated to the County Highway Department. The donated land was given to improve road right-of-way.

The county also approved a resolution for the county mayor to investigate and seek bids for adding an elevator to the old courthouse. An elevator is required to meet current ADA regulation pertaining to public buildings.

The commission also reviewed a proposed lease agreement to allow the state probation officer use of office space in the new justice center. Although this agreement in principle had been previously approved, the details of the contract prepared by the state were far more onerous than expected. The commission rejected the agreement.

With no further business, the commission recessed until Tuesday evening to study the proposed current year budget. The meeting is still officially in recess after the commission met Tuesday and Thursday evenings. It is scheduled to reconvene Monday evening.