Budget Committee reviews requests for new fiscal year

Smith News

White County Budget Committee convened May 12 to discuss the 2026 fiscal year, among other noteworthy business.

To start out the meeting, Chief Jason Sparks came to speak for the Doyle Fire Department. The department requires pump repairs for one of their vehicles, and the Budget Committee historically has covered around 75% reimbursement for the fund, while the Town of Doyle also assists in the remainder of the payment. However, the committee members recognized the initiative Chief Sparks showed in seeking out the repairs early, to alleviate costs before the apparatus was further damaged. In a show of appreciation and good faith, the committee approved a motion for the full $3,700 amount for the repairs.

There was some discussion from the commissioners about the damages, and if there may have been any user error to cause it.

“What are we doing for training for this apparatus, for driver training?” asked Commissioner David Cranford. “The reason I’m asking is, some of these mechanical errors we are getting, and I’m not saying it’s yours, but some have been questioning if the training has been adequate for some of these guys. If that’s causing these mechanical issues.”

Chief Sparks replied, “We do, but I can only speak for my department. There’s a minimum standard there of this, that class, this class. And a lot of my guys are career firefighters, too.”

There were also some desires among the committee to try and put efforts toward certifications for the volunteer fire departments in the future. It is an effort that has been established before, and it requires a lot of focus, but it is not something they are dedicating to specifically right now. 

After the discussion with Chief Sparks, topics shifted to the 2026 fiscal year budget and the various department fund allocations with it. Chad Marcum, director of finance, said the projected revenues for the general fund were $18.2 million, while the projected expenditures were $21.8 million. Sitting at around a $3.6 million projected deficit, the committee got to work.

One of the major topics of discussion was a tiered payment system for county officials, such as the sheriff’s department. The discussion arose from asking if certain types of positions, like investigators and sergeants, should be grouped together for their wage, or if a tiered system is the way to go. Another example was patrol deputies and secretaries being grouped in the same tier bracket.

There was also general discussion about how much to increase pay, as some believe the sheriff’s office needed an increase to be comparable to the city of Sparta. In addition, there was a longevity payment increase attached to the whole idea. There was a zero-to-four-year bracket, then a five-year-and-up bracket. The committee also deliberated on adding a third bracket with a 50-cent increase, adding it at a 10 years and above bracket. The sheriff’s department is one of the biggest employers under the county.

The director of the emergency management agency was also set on the fiscal budget to move from part-time to full-time. This means that the yearly salary moved up to about $66,560. There was a cut for White County Emergency Medical Service general equipment, and another cut on the jail, $21,500 and $20,000 respectively. The library did not have any cuts, with the only major ask being a carpet replacement.

After a three-hour meeting, the budget committee adjourned until their next meeting, where they will seek to try to cut some to decrease the budget deficit. There will be continued revisions to trim the fat, but a lot of departments the commission believes are too “baked in” to really cut anything from. Before the fiscal year ends, the committee hopes to continue making cuts to nonessential requests that will still allow departments to do their best benefiting the county.