County Budget Committee Begins Work on New Spending Plan for 2023-24

March 21, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County budget committee met for the first time this year on Monday night at the courthouse to begin making plans for the 2023-24 budget.

County Mayor Matt Adcock and the seven-member budget committee reviewed the early workings of a new spending plan comparing the county general fund document line item by line item with the current fiscal year budget. Adjustments are to be made in several categories due to inflation. In a few cases spending is to be trimmed or cut from little used miscellaneous line-item funds. The budget will also have to account for a state increase in salaries for county wide public officials along with pay hikes for county general employees who are due a raise and or step increase according to the county’s pay plan.

Steve Bates, the County’s Fiscal Agent and Financial Advisor and Kristie Nokes, an employee of the County Mayor’s Office also participated in the budget committee meeting.

Those presenting their proposed 2023-24 operating budgets Monday night were County Mayor Adcock, Sheriff Patrick Ray, and Fire Chief Donny Green. No drastic changes were proposed. Any Capital Project requests they may have will be presented at a later budget committee meeting.

This was the first of several budget committee meetings to be held over the next few months. Other county department heads and public officials will have an opportunity to present their proposed budgets soon.

Members of the new budget committee are Jeff Barnes (Committee Chairman), Sabrina Farler (Vice-Chairman), Susannah Cripps Daughtry, Larry Green, Greg Matthews, Beth Pafford, and Daniel Cripps.

March 21, 2023
By: Bill Conger

DeKalb West School has announced the Students of the Month and Teacher of the Month for March.

Chosen for the honor are the following students: Michael Young, Pre-K, McKenzie Nokes, Kindergarten, Weston Hancock, 1st grade, Kennedy Avera, 2nd grade, Cammi Neal, 3rd grade, Samson Chittwood, 4th grade, Hunter Clemons, 5th grade, Dayton Heflin, 6th grade, Kawasi Troyer, 7th grade, and Cecil Ketchum, 8th grade. Students are chosen based on their academics, character, and other areas that make them an excellent student.

3rd grade teacher Melissa Sliger was presented with the Teacher of the Month for March.

March 21, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

A debris burn permit is required through May 15 for outdoor burning from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry where local restrictions do not apply.

“Fire prevention begins with you,” State Forester David Arnold said. “Burning piles of leaves and brush can be an efficient way of cleaning up your yard, but don’t let that debris burn turn into a wildfire.

Practice safe debris burning by creating a wide vegetation-free zone around your pile, have a rake, shovel, or even a bucket of water on hand to control embers, keep an eye on changing weather conditions, and always stay with your fire until it is completely out.”

Materials that can be burned include leaves, branches, tree limbs, twigs, and other woody vegetation and yard trimmings gathered on site. Permits are issued only when conditions are conducive to safe burning. If you live inside city limits, check with your municipality for additional restrictions before you burn.

In DeKalb County to obtain a burn permit call (615) 597-4015 if you live west of the Caney Fork River or (931) 839-2328 if you are east of the Caney Fork River. In the City of Smithville call 615-215-3000.

Obtaining a burn permit at BurnSafeTN.org or the MyTN mobile app is free, fast, and simple. Online permits are issued seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. central time on the day of the burn for any size leaf and brush burn pile. Each pile should be completely out by the permit expiration. Residents with limited internet access may call 877-350-BURN (2876) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time, except on holidays.

For broadcast burning applications such as forestry (understory, site prep), agricultural (crop stubble, field clearing), wildlife (habitat, warm season grasses), land clearing (dozer piles, windrows) or other burning, call 877-350-BURN (2876) to request a permit.

A list of materials that may not be burned can be found in the open burning guidelines from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation at www.tn.gov/environment/program-areas/apc-air-pollution-control-home/apc/open-burning.html.

Burning without a permit is a serious offense that can result in a fine and/or up to 30 days in jail. To report air quality concerns or the burning of prohibited items, call 888-891-TDEC (8332).

If you have information about an intentionally-set fire, call the 24-hour Tennessee Arson Hotline at 800-762-3017. You may remain anonymous and could earn a cash reward from the Tennessee Advisory Committee on Arson and the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Visit www.BurnSafeTN.org for additional tips to burn safely and to protect your community.

The Division of Forestry protects Tennessee’s forests by fighting wildfires, coordinating hazard emergency response, providing prescribed fire guidance and contract services, as well as wildland fire training. Additionally, the Division promotes the responsible use of forest resources by assisting landowners, providing quality seedlings, monitoring insects and diseases, improving urban forests, managing state forests, protecting water quality, and collecting forest inventory data. The Division also works to promote primary and secondary forest industries to stimulate the state’s economy. Visit www.tn.gov/agriculture/forests for more information.