County Commission Approves Nearly $39 Million Budget

The Carroll County Commission passed the 2025-2026 fiscal year budget at their June 30 meeting, approving a $38.8 million spending plan, which included a three percent raise for all County employees, a one-time $5.5 million allocation for new fire equipment, and converting a part-time position at the library into a full-time one.

The certified tax rate was adopted at $.8800 per $100 of assessed value, down from the previous $1.4131.

“This is possibly the lowest tax rate in the history of Carroll County,” said Commissioner Darrell Ridgely. “It’s 35 cents lower than any rate going back to 1971.”

The county’s general fund has doubled in the past five years. Carroll County Mayor Joseph Butler credited department heads for staying within budget.

“We’ve had a really productive year. We’re operating efficiently, paying off debt, and continuing to grow,” Butler said. “This budget doesn’t raise taxes, and it funds important investments in public safety, personnel, and infrastructure.”

See the entire budget for Carroll County here.

County Dog Catcher

Before voting took place on the overall budget, Commissioner Daniel Thomas addressed the county’s animal control program.

Commissioner Daniel Thomas addresses concerns with the County dog catcher. Photo by Jesse Joseph

He mentioned ongoing complaints about the part-time dog catcher.

“Every time someone calls the sheriff’s office needing the dog catcher, it’s always the same: ‘he can’t be contacted,’” Thomas said. “It’s been that way for years.”

Commissioner Thomas proposed cutting $11,000 from the part-time salary line in the budget, effectively eliminating the dog catcher’s position after one more month.

“We need some kind of solution, whether it’s personnel or the program itself,” he said.

Sheriff Andy Dickson backed Thomas’s concerns.

“My [deputies] can’t get the dog catcher to answer [the phone]. Citizens can’t either. The only person who gets a response is the mayor,” he said.

“To put it simply, we don’t have a dog catcher,” the Sheriff added.

Mayor Joseph Butler didn’t dispute the criticism but said that the position is part-time and inherently limited.

Carroll County Sheriff Andy Dickson agrees with Commissioner Daniel Thomas regarding the county dog catcher. Photo by Jesse Joseph

“To say that we don’t have one [is not accurate]. He does answer calls, and he does pick up a lot,” Butler said.

The Mayor did note, “It’s a very flawed program,” and said he was open to change.

“If we want to consider personnel changes, I’d like a sort of committee approach to that, but I’m open-minded,” he said.

After discussion, Thomas withdrew his budget amendment but restated his expectations.

“I just want some sort of commitment into fixing this program or fixing the personnel,” he said. “I’ve exhausted my means to fix this, and I just want a working solution.”

The Commission moved on to discussing the overall budget.

Budget Discussion

During the budget discussion, Commissioner Barry Murphy raised questions about the county drawing down reserves to fund the fire truck purchase and other one-time expenses.

“Anyway you slice it, we’ve got a $39 million budget,” Murphy said. “The expenses can’t outlast the money.”

Mayor Butler agreed, and explained that while the budget dips into fund balance, much of the drawdown comes from nonrecurring projects like the fire engine purchase and spending out of remaining federal ARPA funds.

“This budget is really abnormal in that sense,” Butler said. “These are two things that won’t happen every year. The expectation is that the $31 million in projected revenue will more than cover the county’s usual annual needs.”

Commissioner Cyril Ostiguy praised the budget committee’s work regarding the budget and the fire engine purchase.

“I sat as these people did during the budget, when they [worked on this], and I was amazed to see what was happening. These people are geniuses,” he said.

Commissioner Cyril Ostiguy commends the Budget Committee on their work putting the budget together. Photo by Jesse Joseph

Ostiguy also encouraged long-term planning to sustain future fire department needs.

“We have to think about what our volunteer fire departments will look like 15 years from now,” he said. “Are [volunteers] going to look at rundown buildings and trucks, or something worth volunteering for?”

Included in the budget was $58,523 in contributions to local groups and non-profits. Funds will be allocated to the Rescue Squad, the Carl Perkins Center, the Carroll County Shooting Sports Park, the Gordon Browning Museum, and others.

The budget passed unanimously.

Covia Noise Complaint

Resident Janet James of Rowland Mill Road asked the Commission to address persistent noise from Covia, a silica sand mining operation near her home.

Carroll County resident Janet James addresses noise coming from the sand mining operation near her home . Photo by Jesse Joseph

She explained that for nearly a year, three industrial pumps have been operating continuously behind her property, creating unbearable noise levels.

“The noise is so bad that you can’t stand to be outside,” she said. “We can hear it inside our home at night.”

“They’ve tried once in ten months to put up a curtain around the pump for noise—it didn’t work,” she added.

James suggested alternative sound barriers like hay bales, but said her suggestions have gone unanswered.

“I’m not trying to stop their work,” she told commissioners. “But we deserve some respect. These are our homes, and we live here too.”

Commissioner Dan Willman advised James to find out the exact decibel level around her home. She said she has a video that illustrates the noise she and her neighbors deal with, and will share it with commissioners and Mayor Butler.

James asked the commission to consider some type of noise ordinance.

Contract with Supervisory Services

The Commission passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Butler to sign a formal contract with Supervisory Services Inc. (SSI), for probation services.

“This is the same group we’ve always used,” noted Butler. “We just really haven’t had a formal agreement that we can track, and Judge [Michael] King asked that we put one in place.”

The formalization comes just weeks after a report by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office revealed a former SSI probation officer allegedly misappropriated more than $17,000 in probation-related court fees across Carroll and Weakley Counties.

Under the agreement, SSI will serve as the exclusive provider of probation services for individuals sentenced in Carroll County General Sessions and Circuit Courts for misdemeanor offenses.

It specifies that probation fees will be paid directly by the individuals receiving services, and not by the county.

The agreement also requires SSI to remit any court fines or costs it collects directly to the appropriate court clerk, and to provide semi-annual accountings upon request.

Budget Amendments

The Commission approved several year-end budget amendments across multiple departments.

The Circuit Court reallocated $8,460 from insurance to fund bonuses for six employees.

The Sheriff’s Office used $16,841.67 in insurance recovery to replace a damaged vehicle and shifted other funds to cover a salary supplement and jail staff overtime.

The Highway Department moved $40,000 from construction to cover equipment repairs.

A final amendment pulled $98,607 from the fund balance to cover shortfalls in drug court, county maintenance, general welfare, and the coroner’s office.

Other Business

The commission approved the reappointment of Shelia Deringer to the Carroll County Library Board, with her term set to expire in June 2028.

The following notaries were also elected: Karen A. Brooks, Chloe Rae Crum, Michael U. King, Ashlee Dawn Pickard, Joni Marie Pollock, Natalie Y. Porter, Elizabeth Tippitt, Jessica E. Trevathan.

The Carroll County Commission will not hold a meeting in July. Their next scheduled meeting will be August 11 at 7 p.m. at the Carroll County Office Complex, located at 625 High Street, Huntingdon.

Read the Full Carroll County FY 2026 Budget Here:

CarrollCounty_2026_Budget Download

County Commission Approves Nearly $39 Million Budget

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