salaries Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Council to consider budget on Monday, Tuesday

Posted at 10:20 am June 13, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

They postponed a budget vote for one week, and the Oak Ridge City Council on Monday and Tuesday will resume those discussions. So far, the debate has included calls to raise the property tax rate to fund certain programs and other recommendations to keep the rate unchanged—or even lower it.

The budget will be discussed during a non-voting work session at 5 p.m. Monday, June 15, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Training Room. The Council could then vote on it in the first of two readings this month during a 7 p.m. meeting in the Municipal Building Courtroom.

Council will then discuss the budget in a second work session at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, in the Multipurpose Room at the Central Services Complex on Woodbury Lane. [Read more…]

Clinton Council OKs budget, 15.5-cent tax increase

Posted at 12:14 pm May 19, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

Note: This story was updated at 10:52 a.m. May 20.

The Clinton City Council voted on Monday to approve its budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 on first reading, and it includes a 15.5-cent property tax increase.

Last week, WYSH reported that a three- or four-cent tax increase would be necessary to pay for an increase in insurance costs and to pay for the salaries and benefits of four full-time firefighters. The costs associated with those firefighters were paid for by a FEMA grant for the past two years, but they became the responsibility of the city this year.

Following a late-week budget workshop, another seven cents was added to the proposed tax increase to pay for the city taking over all of the costs associated with school resource officers at the city’s three schools ($62,000), hiring a codes enforcement/police officer ($50,000), and to set aside $100,000 to start a street-paving fund aimed at preventing the city from having to borrow money for street improvement projects in the future. [Read more…]

Schools release Oak Ridge to Maryville comparisons

Posted at 6:01 pm July 14, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 3 Comments

There was much discussion comparing the Oak Ridge and Maryville school districts during budget deliberations in Oak Ridge this year. Among the data compared between the two systems was the number of administrators working for each district.

Last week, Oak Ridge Schools released information that compares the two systems in a variety of areas, including number of administrators, average teacher and principal salaries, ACT scores, student-teacher ratios, and percentage of economically disadvantaged students, among other things.

Read the information here: Oak Ridge to Maryville Comparisons.

Mayor, sheriff reach agreement on salary suit, but war of words follows

Posted at 12:00 am December 9, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Anderson County Detention Facility Expansion

The salary dispute between the Anderson County mayor and sheriff focused on the spending to hire up to 36 new jailers to staff a 212-bed expansion that is still under construction at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton.

CLINTON—The Anderson County mayor and sheriff reached an agreement Friday that could end their five-month-old legal dispute over an annual salary agreement, possibly closing one expensive and contentious chapter in local government even as it opened a new war of words between top officials.

Knox County Circuit Court Judge Dale C. Workman could sign the agreement Monday morning.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and Sheriff Paul White said the agreement allows the sheriff to hire 15 full-time permanent deputies and additional temporary deputies when the sheriff deems appropriate as he prepares to open a 212-bed jail expansion. But the hiring must stay within the spending limit approved by the Anderson County Commission this year, and the temporary employees cannot work more than six months.

Terry Frank

Frank and White announced the agreement in a one-page press release distributed Friday. The case had been scheduled to be heard in Knox County Circuit Court on Monday morning. [Read more…]

Anderson Operations Committee to discuss solutions to sheriff’s salary suit

Posted at 1:49 pm October 14, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

An Anderson County committee will discuss possible solutions to the ongoing legal dispute over Anderson County Sheriff’s Department salaries during a meeting this evening.

The dispute is between Anderson County Sheriff Paul White and County Mayor Terry Frank. Possible solutions will be discussed during an Anderson County Operations Committee meeting at 6 p.m. today (Monday) in Room 312 of the Courthouse.

Other agenda items include the election of a committee chair, consideration of a private act regarding the donation of real estate to nonprofit organizations, an update from Anderson County Law Director Jay Yeager on efforts to get the railroad-owned bridge on Johnson Gap Road re-opened, and the discussion of possible alternate sites for the Glen Alpine convenience center.

Anderson Commission unable to resolve salary dispute between sheriff, mayor

Posted at 11:50 am July 15, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Terry Frank

Note: This story was updated at 1:45 a.m. July 16.

CLINTON—The Anderson County Commission on Monday was unable to resolve a dispute between the county mayor and the sheriff over an annual salary agreement, meaning a judge could be asked to intervene.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank has refused to sign the proposed salary agreement for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department. She said it includes about $7.66 million for salaries, which is roughly $1 million more than the $6.63 million approved by commission in June as part of this year’s budget.

“I cannot do anything more than what was passed,” Frank told commissioners Monday morning. “The only way I can sign that is if you go ahead and approve that new $1 million.” [Read more…]

With revenues down, Oak Ridge Schools could cut 18 positions, six could lose jobs

Posted at 7:23 pm May 13, 2013
By John Huotari 6 Comments

Bob Smallridge

Revenues could be down about $1 million, and Oak Ridge Schools officials have recommended cutting 18 positions, including roughly eight teaching spots.

Six employees could lose their jobs, Oak Ridge Interim Superintendent Bob Smallridge said during a special meeting Monday. The rest of the cuts could occur through retirements and employees taking new jobs, among other things.

The 18 reductions could save about $1.1 million, Smallridge said. One special education teaching position would be added. [Read more…]