Budget Committee: October 8, 2026

The Anderson County Budget Committee meeting on October 8, 2026, approved six contracts with legal approval, including contracts for court services, substitute teachers, school fire protection, and a five-year ambulance lease. It also approved Haas alert and Canon copier contracts; a Domino’s Pizza contract was approved subject to law director review. The committee discussed the Flock camera agreement, which the law director said had deficiencies and was not a valid contract as written but could be ratified. After an initial deferral motion failed, the committee voted to defer the item to its next meeting to allow further legal review; no ratification decision was made. The existing service was reported paid through December.

The committee authorized a bid for the animal shelter French drain project, allowing an award to the lowest bidder up to $90,000; the mayor cited quotes suggesting savings of about $53,000 compared with the contractor’s $143,258 quote. It approved authority to execute a potential additional state grant or amendment for senior digital training and possible STEM lab equipment, and approved a $50,000 senior-center grant with no match. Other spending approvals included $78,000 from opioid remediation funds for EMS pay increases, $27,000 in additional opioid funds for an EMA position, and library grants of $2,800 each for fiber-related equipment. A $20,000 request for outside legal counsel for the library board failed. UT Extension’s requested funding amendment was removed after UT agreed to cover $7,500 for the remainder of the fiscal year.