LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – County commissioners held an online budget and finance committee meeting Thursday evening.Commissioners discussed and voted to approve the 132 Highway public works fund to committee. Road superintendent Ron Dilbeck was present for the Zoom meeting to discuss paving and other needs for county roads. This includes over $1 million for liquid asphalt, $20,000 for road striping and $143,000 for asphalt hot mix, among other projects.

As with other county budget funds, the Coronavirus is expected to have an impact on revenues, but how much of an impact is not known yet. County officials will monitor revenues and raises will only be given if revenues match projections. If that happens, raises will be given retroactively to the beginning of the budget year. A 50-cent across the board raise is scheduled for salaried employees of that department should revenues allow.

Some of the concern is that the county will not receive as much revenue from the motor fuel tax due to travel being down from the virus.

According to Dilbeck, the highway department really relies on those funds, especially for paving. “We’ve been very fortunate with the help of those funds. Everybody wants a paved road, but it’s going to be difficult if those funds are lower,” Dilbeck said. He also asked the commission to “keep the highway department in mind for additional funds.” He said he and the highway department would do all it could to keep roads safe and get paving done.

Commissioners will meet again via Zoom on Monday, June 8 at 6 pm for a commission workshop and again on June 9 at 6 pm for a budget and finance committee meeting.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 06/05/2020-6AM)