Oak Ridge Today

DOE Environmental Management has public meeting to discuss cleanup funding, strategy

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Mark Whitney

Mark Whitney

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or EM, is holding a public meeting to discuss the program’s fiscal year 2015 budget and cleanup priorities. The workshop, featuring Oak Ridge’s senior EM leadership, is scheduled from 4-6 p.m. April 23 at Pollard Auditorium.

“As taxpayer stewards, I think these public meetings are a responsible practice that increase transparency and explain our decision process,” said Mark Whitney, Oak Ridge’s Environmental Management manager. “These meetings also provide a forum for residents and stakeholders to voice their opinions, suggestions, and concerns about our vision.” [Read more…]

DOE says president’s budget invests in innovation, clean energy, national security

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Daniel B. Poneman

Daniel B. Poneman

A U.S. Department of Energy official on Wednesday said the president’s $28.4 billion budget request for DOE emphasizes a “continued commitment to an all-of-the-above energy strategy that prioritizes investments in innovation, clean energy technologies, and national security.”

President Barack Obama released his budget proposal for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 on Wednesday. It still has to be considered by Congress.

U.S. Deputy Secretary Daniel B. Poneman said the proposed budget request for DOE is part of an administration-wide effort to “strengthen the American economy with energy that is cleaner, cheaper, and creates sustainable jobs. [Read more…]

Possible TVA sale a bad idea, president’s budget fails on entitlements, Republican lawmakers say

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

U.S. Senator Bob Corker

Bob Corker

Republican lawmakers from Tennessee were critical of the budget proposal released by President Barack Obama on Wednesday, saying it was overdue and failed to responsibly address unsustainable spending on entitlement programs.

In a statement, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander said a proposal to consider selling the Tennessee Valley Authority could cost taxpayers money.

“This is one more bad idea in a budget full of bad ideas,” Alexander said. “There is today no federal taxpayer subsidy for TVA, period. There is by law no federal taxpayer liability for TVA debt. And after deducting its debt, selling TVA would probably cost taxpayers money.” [Read more…]

Guest column: Changing the economic development game in Oak Ridge

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There’s no nice way to spin it: The results of our city’s bad decisions for the past decade are catching up with us.

In addition to having high debt and property taxes, our sales tax revenues continue to decline, we are exporting more than $727 million per year in U.S. Department of Energy payroll (1), and we have a comparatively stagnant population growth. Even with all the new restaurants opening, these projects won’t fully replace the revenue we’ve lost from the countless businesses that have closed up shop or left town for greener pastures.

Continuing down this path is not an option. Thankfully, our city manager understands this and wants to strategize a more competitive position for Oak Ridge. He is proposing that we change our approach to economic development (2) by finding other uses for the $1-2 million we’ve been spending annually on nearly 20 different external organizations like the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

[Read more…]

Guest column: City needs a return on public spending on Chamber, ORCVB

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By Leslie Agron and Pat Fain

This coming Monday evening, the Oak Ridge City Council and the city manager will hold a work session that has the potential to become the seminal discussion on the future growth and success of Oak Ridge. This discussion will probably begin with the question of the city contracts with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce ($250,000) and the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau ($400,000) and, unfortunately, it may just end there. If this happens it could be another significant opportunity fumbled.

There are very legitimate reasons to question the continued expenditure of public dollars for the type and quality of results delivered by these two entities. The need for growth of revenue is real. Several years ago, without even a minimal public discussion of what kind of city we want to be in the future, the city and the Chamber entered into a series of open-ended contracts. That produced amorphous and inadequate results. The Chamber can well blame a lack of direction and vision on the city. The city can point to lots of sound and fury and fast food restaurants as being an inadequate answer to long-term financial woes and economic growth needs.

[Read more…]

Fleischmann votes for ‘No Budget, No Pay’; Corker co-sponsors

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U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann

Chuck Fleischmann

U.S. Senator Bob Corker

Bob Corker

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann voted for a bill that passed the House on Wednesday that temporarily increases the nation’s debt ceiling and requires each house of Congress to pass a budget.

Known as the “No Budget, No Pay” Act, the bill would withhold pay for legislative members if they fail to pass a budget.

“Not having a budget wouldn’t fly for hardworking Americans at home or at work, and it shouldn’t be allowed in Congress,” said Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican whose district includes Oak Ridge. “We cannot ever truly constrain spending if the Senate will not pass a budget. With the passage of this bill, the Senate Democrats will finally be obligated to produce a path to get our fiscal house in order.”

[Read more…]

Iwanski proposes solution to budget standoff over jailers, taxes

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Editor’s note: Anderson County Interim Mayor Myron Iwanski has proposed a solution to a budget standoff between county officials who don’t want to raise taxes and Sheriff Paul White, who says he needs at least 13 jailers to open a 128-bed minimum security dormitory. Here’s the proposal that Iwanski sent to county commissioners and staff members on Wednesday.

After last night’s meeting, I had a chance to talk to some of you, Sheriff White, and Avery Johnson about the sheriff’s budget. Based on your, the sheriff’s, and Avery’s input, I would like to offer a no-tax-increase solution for the sheriff’s budget that will allow the jail dormitory to be open and also address the longer term jail expansion staffing needs.

My proposal authorizes the sheriff to hire the 13 jailers he said he needs to open the new dormitory—but has some conditions that County Commission and the sheriff would need to agree to for us to do it in a fiscally responsible way.

[Read more…]

Sheriff’s supporters want more money, wheel tax

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Anderson County Budget Hearing

Citing the quick response time to a recent shooting, Anderson County Sheriff's Department Lt. Kenny Sharp objects to a proposal to reduce the number of take-home vehicles during a budget hearing Thursday.

CLINTON—Anderson County Sheriff’s Department employees and their supporters made impassioned pleas Thursday for more money to hire jailers, avoid service cuts, and cover higher operating costs.

They also objected to a proposal to cut the number of take-home vehicles for employees. Several said they would support a wheel tax to raise money for the Sheriff’s Department and other critical county services.

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School board considers budget tonight

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The Oak Ridge Board of Education will consider next year’s budget on second and final reading during a special meeting today.

The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in the School Administration Building on New York Avenue.

[Read more…]

Report: Anderson County arrests have doubled since 2005

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Anderson County Sheriff's Department Report

The Anderson County Sheriff's Department has had modest staffing increases in the last decade or so and significant increases in arrests starting in 2007, particularly burglary and theft arrests. (Chart submitted by Sheriff's Department)

The number of arrests per year in Anderson County has more than doubled since 2005, according to a recent presentation by the Sheriff’s Department.

There have been significant increases in burglary and theft arrests, as well as arrests for drug crimes.

Total arrests have risen from roughly 1,100 or fewer in 2006 and earlier years to more than 2,000 per year from 2008 to 2010.

[Read more…]

Job cuts proposed to balance schools budget

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The equivalent of 9.7 full-time teaching positions could be cut to balance the Oak Ridge school system’s budget, Superintendent Tom Bailey said Monday.

Those cuts would save about $687,000.

Other proposed staffing cuts to reduce spending by a total of $912,000 include the full-time equivalent of 6.5 teaching assistants, one maintenance staff member, and one district-wide custodian.

It’s a “very tough position to be in,” Bailey told Oak Ridge Board of Education members during a half-hour budget presentation Monday.

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City Council, School Board consider budgets tonight

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The Oak Ridge City Council and Board of Education will consider their budgets for the next fiscal year during two separate meetings tonight.

Oak Ridge Superintendent Tom Bailey will present his proposed budget to the school board during a 5:30 p.m. work session today at the School Administration Building on New York Avenue.

The City Council will consider the municipal budget in the first of two readings at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Building Courtroom on South Tulane Avenue. There will also be a public hearing.

[Read more…]