The Overton County Board of Commissioners adopted the new budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year Monday night, maintaining the current property tax rate.
Board Co-Chair Darwin Clark said the financial plan includes a three percent starting salary increase for non-emergency personnel and a one percent across-the-board raise for all county staff. Clark said the commission also allocated funds to help offset rising health insurance costs for employees. The budget passed with 13 yays and one nay from District 2 Commissioner Shane Walker.
“The main thing is that there’s no tax increase and we will be all right with our fund balance for for another year,” Clark said. “We still we don’t owe any money. We’re not in debt. Right now, we don’t have any future plans to buy anything at this point other than at some point we’re one of these days this county commission will have to approve to get buy some land somewhere for industrial development.”
The budget includes $500,000 for the highway department to facilitate road paving projects in the coming year. Clark said the commission also designated $100,000 annually specifically for the maintenance of the historic courthouse, which was last remodeled in the late 1970s.
“It’s just time for us to start trying to fix it back like it once was,” Clark said. “We we’ve had some leaks that we got stopped up and quit leaking. We got some do some in here as you can see the (wallpaper) coming off.”
During a public hearing prior to the vote, resident Scott Deatherage said he was concerned about a projected 23 percent increase in spending compared to previous years.
“As one of those people that hates taxes as bad as or worse than everybody in this room, if you’re going to have services, you got to have taxes,” Deatherage said. “And as an old salesman if you package that right I think it could be sold.”
The new budget and salary schedules are set to take effect on July 1.
In other business, the commission approved to change the speed limits on Twin Oaks Road and Henry Copeland Lane to 35 mph and 20 mph respectively.
Chamber of Commerce President Zach Stephens introduced Morgan White as the new Tourism and Main Street Director for the county. Stephens said White previously worked with the Upper Cumberland Development District and will lead local efforts to increase regional visitation.
