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Hawkins County cuts emergency services funds to balance budget

 

ROGERSVILLE — The Hawkins County Commission approved its 2008-09 fiscal year budget by a single vote Monday night — the first budget in five years without a property tax increase, although the county’s emergency services volunteers would argue that the price was too high.

The budget as approved Monday calls for a surplus of about $300,000. Members of the commission’s Budget Committee vowed this year to hold the line on taxes, but that meant making cuts including a 10 percent decrease to all charitable contributions.

A huge contingent of fire and rescue workers packed the Hawkins County Courthouse Circuit Courtroom Monday in hopes that their power in numbers might persuade commissioners to reject the cut of their funding. It didn’t work.

They had several supporters on the County Commission, however, including Commissioner Chris Jones, who is also the Mount Carmel fire chief.

Jones’ motion to amend the budget by restoring all contributions to last year’s level received a 10-9 vote with one abstention. But that motion failed because a majority of the entire 21-member body, or 11 votes, is required to approve budget items.

The budget containing the originally proposed 10 percent cuts to all fire and rescue agency contributions was approved by a vote of 12-6 with two abstentions.

All 12 fire departments in Hawkins County, as well as the Hawkins County Fireman’s Association, were cut $1,500 each. The county’s two ambulance services were cut $3,000 each, Hawkins County 911 was cut $14,000, Hawkins County HazMat was cut $2,000, and both rescue squads were cut $5,000 each for an overall reduction in emergency services spending of $51,500.

Another hot topic Monday was a resolution proposed by Commissioner Danny Alvis calling for all county commissioners to accept a 10 percent cut in their salary. The money would be used to raise a $1,000 donation to help pay for the purchase of two new vans to transport disabled veterans to the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Johnson City.

An initial request of $3,000 to help pay for the vans was denied, along with all new contribution requests.

The voluntary pay cut to help fund the vans was defeated by a vote of 9-11.

Following the meeting, the large contingent of firefighters met outside the courthouse and passed the hat to help raise money for the veterans van. Within a few minutes they’d raised more than $600 and planned on raising more at a Fireman’s Association meeting this evening.

To their credit a few commissioners including Budget Committee Chairman Claude Parrott put some cash into the kitty on their way out of the courthouse.

“The fire departments and all emergency services are taking money out of their pockets and putting in a fund to give to the veterans to get their van with,” said Lakeview Volunteer Fire Department firefighter Frankie Davis. “We’re going to teach the County Commission a lesson about patriotism and volunteerism.”

The Fireman’s Association meets at 5 p.m. today at Carters Valley Station 2, and the public is invited to attend to make donations for the veterans.

Stanley Valley Fire Chief Stacy Vaughan, who was recently elected to join the County Commission in September, said after the meeting he’d like to have voted Monday night and provided the final vote needed to restore all contributions to last year’s level.

“It’s obvious that the commissioners don’t realize what the county’s fire and rescue services are up against,” Vaughan said. “Your fire services and your rescue services are essential items that the county needs. The public expects us to be there when they call. We don’t charge the public for coming out, no matter how long we have to stay. We’re an essential item, and we should be funded that way.”

The only contribution recipient to receive a reprieve from cuts Monday was the Hawkins County Library System, which had initially been slated for a $9,400 cut. That cut would have constituted failure to meet state-mandated maintenance of effort and would have resulted in about $98,000 in state funding and materials being cut. More specifically, the state would have cut its $11,000 annual funding and taken away nearly half of the county’s books and videos.

Church Hill Mayor Dennis Deal spoke to commissioners during discussion of the budget and asked them to rescind the library cut. The commission voted 19-0 with one abstention to restore the library funding to last year’s level.

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I was wondering if the people of Hawkins County know that the County Commissioners get State Retirement and Insurance provide to them and that in the County?s Budget there is $130,000.00 budget for the county commissioners. This figure does not reflect on the $27,500.00 budget for the County Park Director which is a County Commissioners. NOW there is a conflict of interest!

Michael Yates | 8/28/2008 - 9:41 AM - (Suggest Removal )

In reference to Terry Patrick's comment "Conflict of Interest"..."What a Joke". I feel that we need more people like Chris Jones on the County Commission who truely understands what the Fire and Emergency Services does for Hawkins County. If you did not attend the Monday's commissioners meeting in Rogersville, then you might not have read ALL the facts in the paper...for example, speaking of "Conflict of Interest", did you happen to read that majority of the commissioners voted NOT to take a 10% cut of their OWN pay to help the Veterans Association pay for a van for much needed means of transportation to get the Veterans to the VA hospital? Now thats a joke! Talk about Conflict of Interest! Another fact you might have overlooked, but shortly before the meeting was over, the Hawkins County Emergency Services congregated in the parking lot to take up donations to help the Veterans Association buy the much needed van, AFTER WE JUST HAD OUR BUDGET CUT! We were able to raise over $1,000 within 24 hours. Know thats what I call loyalty! By voting this way, it not only took away from the Veterans (which is the main reason we have freedom and are able to vote today) but it took away from all of the Emergency Services. Where is this county going to end up if we CAN'T EVEN SUPPORT OUR VETERANS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES?!!! Also to let you know, the county only gives the fire depts. $15,000 year, which is a "Charitable Contribution", except for this year and we get $13,500. Now to explain why it is so hard on the fire depts....the majority of the depts have insurance to pay, approximately $15,000. Now, where do we get the remaining money to cover an operating budget of over $100,000? Exactly, we have to work for it in the form of fund raisers, examples-road blocks, fish dinners, various types of suppers, and the list goes on, which includes donations from the community we serve. Also to let you know, several of the Fire Depts. have saved the county millions of dollars in the form of grants, THAT DID NOT COST THE COUNTY 1 RED CENT! Can you imagine what thoughts would be going through your head if you were standing there in front of your burning house, AND NO FIRE DEPT. TO RESPOND? OR EVEN A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND NO RESCUE SQUAD OR EMS TO RESPOND? So, now you know why Chris Jones voted the way he did, because he knows EXACTLY what the Emergency Services are faced with! LACK OF FUNDING!!! So the next time you want to talk about "Conflict on Interest, maybe you need to post a comment about how the county commissioners would rather vote in majority to put money in their OWN pockets, instead of helping the Veteran and Emergency Services, Which EVERYONE WILL NEED AT LEAST ONCE IN THEIR LIFETIME! I just hope we have the funds and means to provide that service!

Denny Steele | 8/27/2008 - 10:15 PM - (Suggest Removal )

As a wife of a firefighter,mother of a firefighter and a volunteer for the Fire Corp I am so proud of all the men and women who were there last night at the meeting.Even after losing funding to their own depts they helped out our fellow Vets be on their way to a much needed van for transportion of our men and women who proudly served yours and our country. These men and women firefighter's/emt's and other emergency workers really show the heart and love they have for other human beings. I wish everyone who reads this will come out and support your local emergency professionals wether it be a donation, dropping off bottles of water, helping to volunteer yourself or just a pat on the back I know they deserve all of it and more. As the saying goes "We Never Leave a Brother Behind"..... will you??

Stacy Barton | 8/26/2008 - 10:18 AM - (Suggest Removal )

Apparently Chris Jones has never heard of CONFLICT OF INTEREST. A fire chief voting on an issue that directly involves funding for fire dpeartments - what a joke.

terry patrick | 8/26/2008 - 9:36 AM - (Suggest Removal )

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