Sidney Jessee Jr. presided over the May Union County Commission meeting because Mayor Bailey was on vacation. The meeting got a late start due to the lengthy budget committee meeting. The budget committee approved and recommended all budgets to the commission except the County FY25 General Fund 101. A vote to recommend Fund 101 failed 2 to 6 with Chairperson Cheryl Walker and Commissioner Gerald Simmons supplying the only affirmative votes.

The barrier appeared to be salary increases that were over the two percent but did not cause a tax increase. Even Vice Mayor Jessee opined that he was in favor of the increases since there was no increase in taxes and urged the committee to discuss the salaries department by department.

Finance Director Missy Brown detailed that raises and increased positions were needed in the Finance Department due to a 69 percent increase in grants and the additional work of building the new middle school. But no discussion by department occurred.

Commissioners Dawn Flatford, Larry Lay, Greg Dyer and Kenny Moore voted against the motion. Due to a recent change in the law, the county budget must be passed by June 30. So the budget committee will continue its task in a special called meeting at 5:30 on June 4 in the large courtroom.
After some routine business to approve the minutes and the notaries, Vice Mayor Jessee asked Chamber of Commerce president Thomas Skibinski to come to the microphone to answer some questions on finances. One question was, “Do you have this year's budget?” Skibinski answered that he did not because he did not know what the revenue would be. Another Commissioner noted that he had indicated $90,000 as total revenue in the 990EZ and asked if he could explain the expenses. He explained the expenses were tourism. When he was asked why chamber by-laws are not on its website, he replied that the law does not require the by-laws on the website.

All 14 pages of budget amendments and transfers prepared by the finance department were approved. Charlie Hamilton was appointed unanimously to the Library Board. Commissioner Greg Dyer was the only negative vote for Derrick Merritt's appointment to the Equalization Board.

Commissioners approved the TCAT contract between the Union County Board of Education and the Tennessee Department of Education to build the building on the UCHS Campus. With no other reports available, Vice Mayor Jessee announced that the commission would hold an executive session and the public could return at the end of the session. The public returned after the executive session and the meeting adjourned.

The Union County Commission will meet on Monday, June 10, to review the FY25 budget for possible passage on the first reading. So far there are no tax increases in the budget.