I have continued my review of the proposed Knox County Budget, and hope to raise additional questions at tomorrow's meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee, 8:30 a.m. Here are some more observations.
SRF200-235pdf file, p. 55. Highway/Bridge Maintenance. A zero to $50,000 jump in "other professional services." What are we buying?
SRF pp. 50, 47, 43. We go from zero to $100,000, $120,000 and $3000 respectively for the Employee Benefits Engineering and Public Works Fund, the Highway Fundwide, and Drug Control Fundwide. What are these?
SRF p. 40. Why $50,000 more than requested in Transfers under Tourism?
SRF p. 22. Why $300,000 more than requested in Convenience Centers Building and Grounds Maintenance and $289,000 more than requested in Service Contracts?
SRF p. 21. Is the $19,000 budgeted for Workers Compensation Charges realistic? Past years have been twice that or more.
SRF p. 11. What is the $50,000 for the State General Library?
Writing of libraries, if any of the above items prove unjustified or unwise, some funds clearly needed to be shifted to schools and libraries. Library book/media acquisition budget is more than $48,000 below last year: $141,000 below two years ago.
The stormwater ordinance in our packet for tomorrow's meeting also has none of the dozen-plus suggestions I presented to make it as rigorous as that of the city. All the best, Mark Harmon
|
Topics:
|
|
Discussing:
- Pedestrians be careful, drivers (and pedestrians) not attentive (3 replies)
- Check and Recheck your ballot when voting (5 replies)
- Bernie Sanders vs AI (1 reply)
- SoKno discombobulation continues (2 replies)
- Execution failed!!! (3 replies)
- GOP Senator "deserves the obloquy" (2 replies)
- AI company going public says "existential risks to humanity" (2 replies)
- Michaela Barnett for Congress TN-02 (2 replies)
- Timing is everything (2 replies)
- Presidential protest? Deja vu? (3 replies)
- Republican midterm strategy 2026 (2 replies)
- Kerbela Development: Understanding the Appeal and What Happens Next (1 reply)
Upcoming events:
- Nov 5 2026 - 5:30pm (1 week 1 day from now)
TN Progressive
- Blount County pausing on housing growth? (BlountViews)
- Tues., Oct. 20, 2026, Free Flu Shots at Blount County Health Dept. (BlountViews)
- View from the Overlook (Whitescreek Journal)
- Alcoa property taxes will probably not go up (BlountViews)
- Smith & Wesson not a good fit for Blount County (BlountViews)
- WATCH THIS SPACE. (Left Wing Cracker)
- America As It Is Right Now (RoaneViews)
- A friend sent this: From Captain McElwee's Tall Tales of Roane County (RoaneViews)
- The Meidas Touch (RoaneViews)
- Massive Security Breach Analysis (RoaneViews)
- (Whitescreek Journal)
- My choices in the August election (Left Wing Cracker)
TN Politics
- In Tennessee, church mobilization efforts send message that voting rights attack is unacceptable (TN Lookout)
- Early voting surges in midterm elections as millions cast their ballots (TN Lookout)
- Tennessee toll lane contractor promises to pay state nearly $148 billion (TN Lookout)
- Tennessee hosts first gubernatorial forum in eight years. GOP frontrunner no-shows (TN Lookout)
- Trump’s DOJ sends 1,000 election monitors to 50 states; locations not yet disclosed (TN Lookout)
- Tennessee blocks driver’s licenses for Dreamers, other immigrants with U.S. work permits (TN Lookout)
Knox TN Today
- Let’s Talk: Youth — A champion, a colorful legacy and science that glows (Knox TN Today)
- The Book Whisperer: Three books to read the week of Halloween (Knox TN Today)
- Young Reader’s Shelf: Adventure awaits — books that take young readers beyond the ordinary (Knox TN Today)
- Sudoku made simple: Learn to play with KnoxTNToday (Knox TN Today)
- Mama Said: “Gooder than snuff, but not half as dusty.” (Knox TN Today)
- First Horizon Foundation grant supports Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley (Knox TN Today)
- Pellissippi State students discover engineering is more than rocket science (Knox TN Today)
- Knoxville-area soccer teams advance as fall championships take center stage (Knox TN Today)
- Grace Christian bounces back with big region win at Lakeway Christian (Knox TN Today)
- Let’s Talk: Neighbors — Two students inspire change, a park gets attention and Homecoming brings friends together (Knox TN Today)
- Ghosts of Halloween’s past (Knox TN Today)
- More Than a Joyful Noise (Knox TN Today)
Local TV News
- 'All hands on deck': Former TBI agent explains search process for escaped inmates (WATE)
- DEBATE: Tennessee governor candidates clash as Election Day nears (WATE)
- Knoxville woman in horror competition raising money for sick children (WATE)
- Knoxville City Council OKs $750k for affordable housing, $5M for capital upgrades (WATE)
- $1.5M donation to Maryville College Athletics continues legacy of Blount County businessman (WATE)
- Farragut couple gets $1800 bill from Rural Metro after fire at neighbor's house. What happened (WATE)
News Sentinel
State News
- Things to do in the Chattanooga area this weekend include Haunted Market, Halloween crawl - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Gordon Lee goes five sets to reach GHSA volleyball final - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- State of Tennessee gives additional $9M to Chattanooga Airport for parking garage - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Peak fall color to arrive in Tennessee Valley by early November - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
Wire Reports
- Fed meeting live updates: No hike expected, but all eyes on Warsh for what's next - CNBC (Business)
- S&P 500 futures inch higher ahead of Fed decision. Nasdaq futures gain after SK Hynix profit boom: Live updates - CNBC (Business)
- Flávio Bolsonaro on flight to Miami after fleeing Brazil amid election defeat - The Guardian (US News)
- They bought cabins to live on a luxury cruise ship. High fuel costs got them kicked off in Cambodia. - NBC News (Business)
- Trump fights for votes in Texas and deadlock in Israeli election: Morning Rundown - NBC News (US News)
- China’s Electric Carmakers Are Running Out of Domestic Buyers | The 10-Point for Oct. 28 - WSJ (Business)
- Amazon warehouse workers tell us what they really think about their new robot coworkers - Business Insider (Business)
- Exclusive | Elizabeth Warren Demands Answers From Anthropic on ‘Existential’ Risks - WSJ (Business)
- Midwest Dems face their do or die moment to win back Trump districts before 2028 - Politico (US News)
- Peak high tides bring more flooding to SoCal coastal communities - ABC7 Los Angeles (US News)
- UN holds annual vote on condemning US embargo on Cuba as tensions spill into public - AP News (US News)
- Federal grand jury declines to indict Cassidy Hutchinson - The Hill (US News)
- Global stock markets rise as investors continue to bet on AI - Al Jazeera (Business)
- Alexander brothers each sentenced to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking case - BBC (US News)
- Murkowski endorses Democrat JKT in Alaska governor's race - Alaska Public Media (US News)
Local Media
Lost Medicaid Funding
Search and Archives
TN Progressive
Nearby:
- Blount Dems
- Herston TN Family Law
- Inside of Knoxville
- Instapundit
- Jack Lail
- Jim Stovall
- Knox Dems
- MoxCarm Blue Streak
- Outdoor Knoxville
- Pittman Properties
- Reality Me
- Stop Alcoa Parkway
Beyond:
- Nashville Scene
- Nashville Post
- Smart City Memphis
- TN Dems
- TN Journal
- TN Lookout
- Bob Stepno
- Facing South

My understanding is that the
My understanding is that the materials budget for the library system is actually 1/3 what it was three or four years ago. A sad story, that.
Thanks for clarifyng these things
I have number phobia, so I especially appreciate it when people take the time to wade through texts and bring forth the important facts. Thanks Mark!
Is there money in the budget
Is there money in the budget for the expansion of the Stormwater Engineering staff? What are some of the recommendations you made that were not included in the budget?
Intergovernmental on Channel 12 now
I just tuned in to Channel 12 and the Intergovernmental Committee of County Commission is being aired. I do not remember the committee meetings being aired before. It started at 8:30 so they likely have talked about the budget already. We will have to see what Dr. Harmon says when all is said and done with this meeting.
Thanks Mark for putting
Thanks Mark for putting forth the time and effort to inform the public.