County Mayor Jim Coppinger said the county is dealing with $56,647,000 in new spending requests, including a possible $155 million bond issue for new projects.
He said all the requests added together would take a 60.9-cent property tax increase. But he said that won't happen and many of the requests will be pared down.
The debt service on a $155 million bond issue would be 16.2-cents on the property tax. There could be $100 million in new projects after a $55 million line of credit is paid.
County officials are facing a huge cost for a replacement County Jail and also the county schools have pressing building needs.
The county schools are asking $24.8 million in "critical needs" above the balanced budget. That would take a 26.7-cent tax boost.
For county general government, requests are $16.7 million above projected income. That would require an 18-cent tax increase.
County Mayor Coppinger said at the start of a budget session on Tuesday, "You will hear some pretty alarming numbers. Remember that these are only requests."
Total expenditure requests are $732.2 million, which is $52.6 million over projected revenue. The current budget is $679.6 million.
Officials said a penny on the tax rate brings in $930,000.
The budget proposal includes a 1.5 percent pay raise for county employees with lower paid ones receiving a minimum $750. That costs $1,615,000. The average pay of a county employee is $42,857.
County employees last year got a 2.5 percent raise, got 1.5 percent the year before that, and 2.5 percent the year before that.
The sheriff's office is asking a 16 percent increase - going to $38.2 million. That would be a $4.7 million rise.
The sheriff's request is for 49 new positions, including 25 at the jail and three in the courts. Another 11 are sought for patrol.
Drug Court is set to go on the county payroll for a $522,000 expense.
The election office is asking a rise of $64,000 and the public defender is asking a $320,000 increase.
There is a request for raises for the magistrates for a new $71,000 expense.
General Sessions Court spending is up $226,000 because Judge David Bales is continuing to get his salary while on medical leave and his replacement is also being paid.
County Attorney Rheubin Taylor is asking $122,000 for a new position.
The county is considering reducing the number of take-home cars and moving to a fleet operation where at any time cars in the fleet would not be over five years old. Officials said it would save on maintenance cost and other items - possibly as much as $300,000 per year. It would be necessary to hire a fleet manager at $128,000 (counting salary, benefits and some other expenses). The county now has 320 vehicles, including 93 take-home cars. The aim is to reduce the number of take-home vehicles by at least 18.
The county is also considering moving to an Open Data Portal at a cost of $125,000. County Mayor Coppinger said, "Then it would all be out there (county data)" for the public to see and quickly access. He said it should help relieve county offices of responding to a number of information inquiries.
Criminal Court Judge Don Poole is to make an upcoming presentation to the commission on a Mental Health Court that will have some costs, but officials said should help relieve jail overcrowding.