By: Peyton Mills, Knox County News Reporter
Last Tuesday, the Knox County Fiscal Court gathered in large part to vote on the preliminary 2023-24 Fiscal Year Budget. This budget will be sent to the State Local Finance Officer for approval prior to a second reading during the coming months. The full budget, including both Appropriations and Revenue, totaling $25,157,233 will be included in full at the end of this article. We at Knox County News have also extrapolated what we consider highlights for your ease of viewing.
If you would like to comment on the budget publicly or inquire further, be sure to follow the Knox County Fiscal Court on Facebook to find out when the next monthly meeting will be held. You may also contact Judge Executive Mike Mitchell here.
The Knox County Budget is comprised of 14 sub-categories: General Fund (40.36% of the total budget); Road Fund (13.09%); Jail Fund (20.56%); Local Government Economic Assistance Fund (5.17%); Federal Grants Fund (1.57%); Fire Department Fund (0.29%); Occupational License Fund (3.10%); Economic Assistance Fund (5.63%); 911 Fund (4.81%); Hospital Sinking Fund (2.53%); SEKRB Park Fund (2.18%); American Rescue Plan Act (0.20%); Clerk Fund (0.23%); and Opioid Settlement Fund (0.28%). See Figure 1 below for a visualization, by percentage of the total budget, of each sub-category.
Budget Appropriations Highlights:
- The Knox County Sports Complex has been allocated $4.2 million of county funds in construction costs alone. Including land development, utilities, water and sewer, and more, the Sports Complex will occupy just over 20% of this year’s total budget — a testament to the willingness of the county to invest in its youth.
- Over $5 million of the total appropriations have been proposed for the Jail Fund alone. Another $1.2 million will serve the Fire Department and 911 Funds. In the 911 Fund especially, much of this cost will go towards equipment keeping our officers and the public alike safe.
- $70,000 has been set aside for education programs targeting the opioid epidemic in pursuant with House Bill 427.
Budget Revenues Highlights:
- The county expects to take in over $80,000 due to natural resources alone, from taxes on timberland, strip mine permits, parks and recreation, and more. The bulk of these funds will be derived from State grants for litter abatement.
- Across several sub-categories, over $150,000 has been devoted to Knox County from the Federal Government. The State Government has invested roughly another $450,000.
- The bulk of General Fund revenues comes from real estate ($1 million), motor vehicle taxes ($350,000), franchise corporation taxes ($160,000), and bank franchises ($120,000), among others.
Below is the unedited 2023-24 Budget Appropriations and Revenues
Budget Appropriations
Budget Revenues
