Blount County commission adopts series of school, sheriff and county budget measures; zoning change approved despite two no votes

The Blount County Board of Commissioners met May 21 and approved a bundle of budget measures and one zoning change, while confirming a county building commissioner.

Madame Clerk read and the commission voted to confirm Thomas Lloyd as Blount County Building Commissioner; the motion passed 15–0. The commission then adopted a sequence of budget resolutions, each approved unanimously as reported by the clerk: resolution 265002, a $183,400 education-capital appropriation to replace the roof and repair brick at Friendsville Elementary School; resolution 265003, a $1,768,100 education-capital appropriation to renovate the tracks at Heritage High School and William Blunt High School; resolution 265004, a $725,000 transfer from the general-purpose school fund to contracts with vehicle owners to comply with an auditors’ corrective-action plan; resolution 265005, $186,875 for a prior-year inmate medical claim for the sheriff’s office; resolution 265006, $153,500 for design fees for an addition and renovation of the animal center; resolution 265007, a $74,600 transfer to instructional supplies awarded through the Tennessee Tutoring Innovation Grant; and resolution 265008, a budget increase to fund change order 001 for Heritage Middle School’s roof replacement (transcript shows a possible numeric transcription issue for the amount).

In a contested vote the commission adopted resolution 2605012 to rezone a 3.75‑acre portion of a 5.069‑acre tract at 4750 East Lamar Alexander Parkway (tax map 60, parcel 182.16) from R1 (Rural District 1) to RAAC (Rural Arterial Commercial). Commissioner French spoke against the rezoning, citing passages from the Tennessee Code Annotated and asserting the property should be assessed as commercial. Madame Clerk recorded 13 yes votes and two no votes; the motion carried.

Why it matters: the budget actions allocate capital and operational funds to school facilities, the sheriff’s office and county projects; the rezoning may change how the parcel is taxed and how it can be developed.

Votes at a glance:
- Set agenda as published — motion carried, 15–0 (SEG 067–078).
- General consent calendar — adopted, 15–0 (SEG 079–089).
- Appointment: Thomas Lloyd, Blount County Building Commissioner — confirmed, 15–0 (SEG 116–129).
- Resolution 265002 (Friendsville Elementary roof/brick) — adopted, 15–0 (SEG 131–152).
- Resolution 265003 (Heritage/William Blunt High School track renovations) — adopted, 15–0 (SEG 153–195).
- Resolution 265004 (school fund transfer to comply with auditors) — adopted, 15–0 (SEG 196–214).
- Resolution 265005 (sheriff’s office inmate medical claim) — adopted, 15–0 (SEG 215–238).
- Resolution 265006 (animal center design fees) — adopted, 15–0 (SEG 239–259).
- Resolution 265007 (Tutoring Innovation Grant instructional supplies) — adopted, 15–0 (SEG 260–281).
- Resolution 265008 (Heritage Middle School roof change order 001) — adopted, 15–0 (SEG 282–302).
- Resolution 2605012 (zoning map amendment for 4750 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy) — adopted, 13–2 (SEG 303–386).

Procedural note: several numeric and name spellings in the transcript appear inconsistent (for example, the county name appears as “Blunt” in some lines); this article uses the standardized county name “Blount County” and notes where transcript figures may be transcribed inaccurately (notably one line for resolution 265008). Where the transcript supplied a dollar amount, this article reports it; where the transcript is ambiguous about a number, the article flags that ambiguity.

Next steps: the chair said the county attorney will review model zoning language and other counties’ resolutions to advise whether Blount County should consider strengthening zoning rules related to large-scale facilities; several items and public hearings were scheduled and announced for June in the courthouse. The commission adjourned without further action.