Supervisor Seeking Almost One Million Dollars in Extra Local Revenue for Road Department

June 18, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Almost a million dollars.

That’s how much extra local property tax revenue Road Supervisor Danny Hale is asking of the county to help him repair deteriorating roads.

Hale appeared before the County Budget Committee Thursday night to make his case for an increase in the local property tax rate of 16 cents to help shore up the road department budget which equates to an increase of $991,520 under the new certified property tax rate calculation. The certified tax rate is $1.7308 per $100 of assessed value. If approved the rate would increase, based on Hale’s request alone by 16 cents to an overall rate of $1.8908 per $100 of assessed value.

Although the road department is primarily funded by allocations from state sources such as gasoline and motor fuel tax, state aid program, and the petroleum special tax, it also benefits from a local mineral severance tax and the county currently kicks in four cents of the local property tax rate which, according to the 2020-21 budget comes to about $190,000 a year.

Still, Hale said that is not near enough to do the work needed.

Breaking it down by month, Hale explained that his department receives an average of $173,502 in state revenue and $16,143 in county tax funds for a total of $189,645 while the cost to operate is $112,859 per month which covers everything but paving, chipping, and buying equipment. According to Hale that leaves him only $76,786 per month to service 513 miles of roads in DeKalb County or $149 per mile in which to tar and chip or pave.

“Eighty five percent of our roads need to be redone (re-chipped). That’s a reality. Our roads are all to pieces. Its costs us $32,000 to $35,000 per mile to chip a road and $110,000 to $180,000 per mile to pave,” said Road Supervisor Hale.

Even if the county grants his request, Hale said that would still only allow him to service 32 to 35 road miles per year.

“This year alone we have had three disasters. We had an ice storm and we worked night and day cleaning up the roads but before we finished that we had a flood and we’re still working to clean up from that today and then we had a tornado come through. To accomplish anything we are going to have to put some money into our roads and I am asking for help” added Hale.

The budget committee has not yet acted on Road Supervisor Hale’s request.

June 17, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Two local dental practices have announced big changes.

Longtime dentist Dr. Cliff Duke, who has been in practice since 1979, is retiring this month (tentatively June 25) completing 42 years of service to this community while Dr. Mitch Tatum of DeKalb Dental Center will be welcoming Dr. Duke’s patients as well as a new dentist to his practice, Dr. Alex Hayes

“After 42 years providing dental services to the best people on earth I am announcing my retirement,” said Dr. Duke this week in a joint appearance with Dr. Tatum and Dr. Hayes.

Although Dr. Duke’s office on South Congress Boulevard will be closing, he has made arrangements with Dr. Tatum to care for his patients going forward.

“I have seen some of Dr. Tatum’s work over the years and it has been consistently excellent and although I have not seen Dr. Hayes’s work because he is just starting his practice I have talked to his instructors who said he is really good. They think highly of his work,” said Dr. Duke.

Dr. Tatum commended Dr. Duke for the care he provided and looks forward to serving his patients now.

“I would like to congratulate Dr. Duke on his 42 years. That’s an accomplishment and this town has been truly blessed to have him. He has done excellent work and we will strive to continue that. We are honored to be adding Dr. Duke’s patients to our family. They will still have the quality care they have been receiving from Dr. Duke. We pledge to continue treating all our patients like family,” said Dr. Tatum.

Dr. Hayes, a native of Smithville, was raised here and educated in the local school system and he recently married Kelsey Hedge, who is also from Smithville.

“I went to preschool all the way through to high school here and played defensive back for the football team at DCHS. I graduated in 2013 and then went to Tennessee Tech and earned by Bachelor’s Degree before moving to Memphis where I got my Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in April,” said Dr. Hayes.

Ready to hit the ground running, Dr. Hayes said he is anxious to begin his new practice.

“I am super excited to be joining this team at DeKalb Dental Center. I have been a patient here and job shadowed several times and the staff always treated me so great. They are a big reason why I am here. I wanted to be part of that. DeKalb County has some amazing people. I love it here and I am so happy to be back. DeKalb County has had some excellent dentistry the past several decades and I will work to make sure that legacy continues,” Dr. Hayes said.

“We are excited to have Dr. Hayes coming on board,” added Dr. Tatum. We look forward to him being a part of this practice”.

Born in west Tennessee, Dr. Duke explained how he eventually found his way to Smithville.

“My family moved from Dyersburg to Memphis shortly after my birth. We later relocated to Georgia and that’s where I grew up. When I was in college our family moved back to Tennessee and after dental school I got a job with public health and this (Smithville) is where they put me. I was working at the health department here performing dental care three days a week and at Carthage two days a week. At that time my wife and I lived in McMinnville and later moved to Smithville,” said Dr. Duke.

During his time at the health department, Dr. Duke met longtime Smithville dentist Dr. Jerre Hale who was looking for an associate.

“I was working for the health department here in town at that time so I got to know Dr. Hale and we partnered. He took me in as his associate. We had separate practices until he retired several years later. I bought out his practice and went solo after that,” Dr. Duke continued.

Dr. Duke said while he has no specific plans in retirement he is looking forward to spending more time with his family. He and his wife are the parents of a grown son and daughter and they have two grandchildren, ages 6 and 8.

“I have grandkids I want to spoil as much as I can much to the chagrin of my daughter. I have learned over the years that retired folks are some of the busiest I know so I don’t anticipate being bored,” he said.

Dr. Duke also singled out his family, staff, and patients for a special thank you.

“It has been a profound honor to provide dental treatment for your families over the past 42 years and I so much appreciate it. It means more to me than you will know. I also want to say thank you to the people I work with. They are the reason I look forward to coming to work every day. I want to say thank you to my family. My wife and children make me look forward to coming home every day. Thank you so much for all you have done for me,” said Dr. Duke.

June 17, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

The Smithville Mayor and Aldermen will meet in special session tonight (Thursday) to adopt the 2021-22 budget ordinance on second and final reading.

Budget

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at city hall. Also on the agenda is the transfer of city employee Megan Moore from one department to another. Moore has served as Director of the Animal Shelter. She will be transferring from that position to another at city hall.

If approved the new budget will take effect July 1.

The new city spending plan includes a 2% increase in water and sewer rates and tap fees.

City water customers currently pay $7.25 per thousand gallons of usage. That will go to $7.40 per thousand. Rates for customers outside the city limits will increase from $10.88 to $11.10 per thousand. City sewer customers pay $6.75 per thousand gallons. That will jump to $6.89 per thousand. The new rates are expected to generate up to $50,000 a year in new revenue.

City officials believe its wiser to implement smaller rate increases now rather than larger hikes later to keep incoming revenues ahead of expenses and that is also the recommendation of the state comptroller. A year ago, the city’s water and sewer fund was projected to end the current fiscal year June 30, 2021 in the red by $37,713 but by keeping a close eye on spending the city is now expected show a surplus of $142,631 by the close of this month. This time next year with the rate increases included, the water and sewer fund is forecast to be in the black by $56,535.

Under state law, if a utility continues to operate at a loss for more than two years and doesn’t address it, the state has the authority to force rate increases to make it solvent.

The city property tax rate will drop from 0.899 cents to the new certified tax rate levied by the state of 0.7523 cents per $100 of assessed value to offset new reappraisal property assessments. Although the new certified tax rate is to generate about the same amount of local property tax revenue as this past year, the city is projecting $1,274,471 in property tax collections in 2021-22, down by $20,000 from $1,295,000 this past year (2020-21).

Still, the General Fund is projected to end the current fiscal year in the black by $388,766 on June 30, 2021 and $299,714 to the good by June 30, 2022.

The General Fund Debt Service for the new police department building is projected to be $177,550 for the year including $100,000 in principal payments and $77,550 in interest on long-term debt.

The new budget also includes funding for:

* A 3% cost of living pay raise for hourly city employees with more than four years of service. Hourly workers with four years of service or less will receive a step raise on their employment anniversary date with a 3% cost of living increase July 1. Salaried employees will get a $5,000 pay raise.

*Another paid E911 dispatcher position at $40,405 (salary and benefits). This would increase the number of city funded dispatchers to four to a total annual cost of $160,000, up from $119,595

GENERAL FUND CAPITAL OUTLAY PROJECTS:

POLICE DEPARTMENT
*2 new police cars and related equipment: $95,000 ($45,000 of which is grant funded with local match)
*Furniture and office equipment for new Police Department building: $125,000

STREET DEPARTMENT
*Salt truck: $20,000
*Bridge capital repairs: $25,000
*Street paving $335,000 which includes $250,000 grant
*Unspecified: $15,000

FIRE PROTECTION
*10 portable radios: $9,200
*New Air Bags and Controller: $15,000
*Battery Powered Combination Rescue Tool: $10,000
*Swiftwater equipment: $5,000
*Site work for training site: $6,000
*Unspecified: $30,000

AIRPORT
*Obstruction Clearing Grant: $899,012
*Unspecified: $10,000

PUBLIC WORKS-BUILDINGS & GROUNDS
*Lift and Forks: $20,000
*Unspecified: $5,000

OTHER GENERAL GOVERNMENT
*TN Local Government Support COVID 19 Grant- $136,000

PARKS AND RECREATION
*Walking Trail Improvements: $20,000
*Unspecified: $10,000

MUNICIPAL POOL
*Strainer: $10,000
*Unspecified: $5,000

GOLF COURSE
*Unspecified: $10,000

CITY HALL BUILDING
*Unspecified: $30,000

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION
*Unspecified: $5,000

SANITATION

*Unspecified: $5,000

WATER AND SEWER FUND PROJECTS (FIXED ASSET ADDITIONS):
*Meter reading software: $10,000
*Backhoe: $103,000
*Tube settlers: $30,000
*Replacement of sewer lines: $600,000 (Half of Federal COVID Grant Funds)