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Cocke County Budget
Members of the Cocke County Budget committee meeting Tuesday,discussed the new budget for the Highway Department. Superintendent Kenneth Ford said his proposed budget is similar to the current budget, except for capital needs. He pointed out that many of the dump trucks and other equipment is in bad shape because of long usage. He said the cost of maintaining the high mileage equipment is greater than purchasing replacement trucks. Ford told the NewsSource he needs $200,000 for equipment. Ford also asked for reinstatement of $485,000 for asphalt, which was reduced last year. Last year funding for chip and shoot paving, was transferred to hot mix (asphalt). He said asphalt has dropped in price, and the county can save $20 per ton if county employees put it down. If the county provides $500,000 for paving, the county would save $192,000. That would translate into an additional of nearly 10 miles of asphalt. Ford reminded the committee that if $2 million was provided annually for asphalt, to repave all the roads(excluding gravel) in Cocke County would take 30 years. The superintendent says during his tenure, the county has not taken any new roads into the road system, compared to 200 miles taken into the system during the tenure of his predecessor, the late John Holloway. With regard to gravel, Ford said his department can produce gravel in it's quarry for $8.37 per ton compared to a cost of $14.25 per ton if it is purchased from a private source. That he said saves the county $500,000 annually. General Sessions and Juvenile Judge Brad Davidson asked for funding for a part-time person in Juvenile Court. He expressed concern that Youth Services Officer Jennifer Shelton is becoming "burned out" as a result of the long hours she s working. Davidson also told the committee that he recently learned that the state had unclaimed funds that were available to the county. He said he asked county officials to file a claim for the funds, but that was not done. So he filed a claim and received checks totaling more than $17,000. Most of the funds were reportedly for reimbursed medical billing. Sheriff Armando Fontes said he also filed a claim and recouped unclaimed funds for his department.
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Return to Today's News Stories - Front PageThursday, April 29, 2021
US 411 Project News
Mill Creek Wildfire Update
More Bad News For Smokies' Fans
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Mill Creek Wildfire doubles in size
Goodbye Smokies?
Keep Cocke County Beautiful
Cocke Co. High School Remote Learning today!
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
The fireflies are coming!
Burnout Operations on MillCreek wildfire today
Gas prices drop
Tennessee keeps all US House seats
Monday, April 26, 2021
Boat accident victim ID'd
Traffic stop yields drug arrest
Cocke County Wildfires
Friday, April 23, 2021
Leaving WNPC
Mathis announces candidacy
Newport drug roundup
Cruise Against Cancer
Jobless numbers
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