The Carroll County Finance Ways and Means Committee (formerly the Budget Committee) addressed a failing boiler at the county jail during their meeting on Thursday, August 28.
They also reviewed a request tied to a Tennessee Highway Safety Office grant which links overtime pay to traffic enforcement, considered a commissioner’s training incentive plan, and heard about new funding for emergency communications.
Carroll County Jail Boiler
Carroll County Jail is “one failure away from no hot water,” Chief Deputy Joel Pate told the committee.
Pate said maintenance staff had been scavenging parts from broken burners to keep the system alive.
“At the start of 2023 we had four burners that were functioning, and now we’re down to one,” he explained.
A recent power surge knocked out that last unit temporarily.
He warned that the jail, which currently houses around 140 inmates, cannot go without hot water.
“We’ve been trying to keep it going,” he added.
Pate said that a company out of Jackson quoted him $30,000 for a new system that will be installed by a Nashville-based contractor for $48,000 in labor costs.
The committee agreed to earmark $80,000 from the county’s fund balance for the project.
“It’s gotta be done,” Commissioner Lana Suite said, before making the motion.
Mayor Joseph Butler added that the appropriation would be tracked separately.
Finance Director Stacey McCaleb created a new ‘Building Maintenance’ line item for the jail to track the funds.
Highway Safety Office Grant Discussion
The committee also considered a request tied to a Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) grant overseen by Commissioner Daniel Thomas.
Mayor Butler explained that the county receives about $30,000 annually through the program, with $20,000 earmarked for sheriff’s deputies to work overtime traffic enforcement.
Grant Coordinator Amber Parham explained that to qualify for the grant, deputies, while on overtime related to THSO, must stop at least two people.
Thomas sought early approval of $5,000 to cover overtime for the month of September before the grant takes effect..
Finance Director McCaleb explained the issue with approving Thomas’s request.
“We’ve told [departments] repeatedly that we cannot put [grant money] in their budget until the grant is signed,” she said.
Commissioner John Austin went further.
“If you can’t manage your grant and manage your overtime, why should we approve $5,000 ahead of time?” he asked. “Don’t work overtime. Why are you working overtime?”
He added that since Thomas is a commissioner, he should already know the budgetary process and that he can’t request grant funds in advance.
Commissioner Training Incentive
Commissioner Cyril Ostiguy renewed his push for a $600 stipend to encourage commissioners to complete state continuing-education hours.
The commissioner first brought the subject up in November, 2024, and was asked to pursue it at a later date.
He told the committee that when he researched the governor’s continuing-education incentive, he found it nearly impossible to determine which commissioners were in compliance.
“It’s not easy to find unless you know where you’re looking,” Ostiguy said.
He added that last year 11 of 15 commissioners required to take the training had not completed it.
“If people don’t want [to], they don’t have to do it,” he said. “But with the more people that do take the continuing education, we will have a smarter county commission.”
Though the governor’s office calls it an “incentive”, the money would first come from county funds.
Commissioner Austin objected.
“I think the reason you can’t find the compliance list is because we’re duly elected by the members of this county to serve,” Austin said. “I don’t think the state can hold training over our head and say, if you don’t do training, you’re out.”
He added, “I think it’s preposterous for [the County] to pay [Commissioners] $600 to go to training. Either you’re here to serve, or you’re here to make money. If you’re here to make money, don’t serve as a county commissioner.”
Three Star Grant and Emergency Communications
Mayor Joseph Butler shared news that Carroll County has been awarded a $250,000 Three Star Grant to upgrade emergency communications.
The county is pursuing transitioning all emergency communications to the Tennessee Advanced Communications System (TACN).
“This is really exciting,” Butler said. “One of the things we’ve all collectively expressed concern with the radio system. We know that the Highway Patrol is already using the TACN system. We went ahead and put in for $250,000 for that grant—and we were awarded it.”
Suite said the award is “about half of what we need to fully outfit the county,” but called it a significant step.
“I’m so excited, because this is something very rare for the state,” she said. “This is groundbreaking for them to give a grant for communications equipment.”
Chief Deputy Pate noted the sheriff’s department already has 30 TACN units, though only 10 are currently functional.
“We would have to buy some antennas and batteries to get all 30 of them working,” he said.
The state will cover installation of radio towers and other critical infrastructure, and the county is responsible for the radio units.
Other Business
Additionally, the committee approved a series of budget amendments.
Finance Director McCaleb said the largest was the creation of a new line item for jail building maintenance, where the $80,000 for the boiler replacement will be tracked.
There were a nukber of amendments for the Carroll County Library, Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County Fire Department, and the Prevention Coalition.
Most of the amendments, McCaleb explained, were either grant carryovers or simple line-item transfers.
“It’s no new funding, just moving money within budgets to cover what was already approved,” McCaleb told the committee.
The next meeting of the Finance Ways and Means Committee was set for September 25.
