TCCA Executive Director's News and Notes

Next TCCA Board Meeting - February 2

2012-01-23T14:59:00.002-06:00

President Ronnie Raper of Rhea County has called for the next meeting of the board of the Tennessee County Commissioners Association from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. central time on Thursday, February 2nd in Nashville in the ground floor conference room of our office building at 226 Capitol Boulevard. Much of this meeting will focus on specific legislation and consideration of policy positions for the upcoming legislative session. New bills are being filed on a daily basis with bill filing deadlines of February 1 for the House and January 26 for the Senate. To date, approximately 600-700 new bills have been filed in each chamber. It's expected that number with grow to around 2000 total new bills by the end of the month.

State Revenue Collections

2012-01-23T14:45:00.002-06:00

Higher than expected business tax collections in December pushed Tennessee revenues past budgeted projections. Finance and Administration commissioner Mark Emkes reported that state revenue collections for December were $965.7 million, or 16.54% above December 2010. December collections posted the eighth consecutive month in which the growth rate has been 5.0% or higher.

“While it's encouraging to see an improvement in business profits, the unexpected overcollection in December could be a timing issue, and as a result future months could be negatively impacted," Emkes said. "Typically, about one-fourth of all franchise and excise tax collections are realized in the month of April, so we’ll continue to closely monitor our spending for the balance of this year.

“We’re very pleased with December sales tax collections, which reflect renewed consumer confidence in our economy. It's important to remember, though, that we’re still not back to pre-2008 collection levels on sales taxes.”

December collections were $123.2 million more than the budgeted estimate. The general fund was over collected by $118.9 million and the four other funds were over collected by $4.3 million.
Sales tax collections were $12.9 million more than the estimate for December. The December growth rate was 6.78%. For five months revenues are over collected by $56.3 million, and the year-to-date growth rate is 6.29%.

Gasoline and motor fuel collections for December increased by 7.65%, and they were $3.2 million above the budgeted estimate of $64.6 million. For five months revenues are under collected by $3.0 million.

Year-to-date collections for five months were $194.2 million more than the budgeted estimate. The general fund was over collected by $188.4 million and the four other funds were over collected by $5.8 million.

The State Funding Board met on December 9th and 14th to hear updated revenue projections from the state’s various economists. The board met again on December 19th and adopted revised revenue ranges for 2011-2012. The revised ranges assume an over collection from the July 2011 budgeted estimate in the amount of $187.8 million to $220.5 million in total taxes and in the amount of $177.0 million to $209.6 million in general fund taxes for the current fiscal year.

Treasurer Lillard Proposes New Pension Options for Local Governments

2012-01-23T14:35:00.004-06:00

To give local governments more choices for their employees’ retirement plans, Tennessee State Treasurer David H. Lillard Jr. today proposed several new options to state legislators for their consideration.

Lillard stressed that none of the suggested changes would affect K-12 teachers, state employees or higher education employees who are covered under the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS). The changes, which would require approval by the General Assembly, are optional for local governments and would only affect new hires. The proposed options do not affect any current retirees of TCRS.

“Our city and county governments across Tennessee have to balance the need to be good stewards of taxpayer money with the need to offer fair retirement benefits to their employees,” Treasurer Lillard said. “The goal is to make sure pension benefits are affordable, sustainable and sufficient. That’s why I am recommending some choices that would give local governments greater flexibility to meet their specific needs.”

The options presented today were:

· local governments may take no action and remain in the current TCRS defined benefit pension plan with retirement generally at 30 years of service or age 60; or
· local governments may adopt a TCRS defined benefit pension plan with an annual service accrual rate of 1.4%, with an increase in retirement age, limits on cost of living adjustments, a cap on maximum allowed benefits and a revised employee contribution structure; or
· local governments may adopt a TCRS defined benefit pension plan with an annual service accrual rate of 1% to offer reduced pension benefits, but with a supplemental deferred compensation program; or
· local governments may decide to offer only a deferred compensation program as a stand-alone option.

The proposals were developed following open meetings held throughout Tennessee with more than 200 local government representatives last fall.

“Over the last couple of years, we have had several local governments either withdraw or give notice that they planned to withdraw from TCRS due to changes in market conditions,” Treasurer Lillard said. “We are offering these options because we want local governments to remain part of TCRS, which is in the best interests of local governments, their employees and the citizens they serve. We believe local governments will be more inclined to do that if we’re offering more choices.”

Treasurer Lillard presented his ideas during a meeting of the General Assembly’s Council on Pensions and Insurance. For a copy of the local government pension option proposals and other documents, go to http://treasury.tn.gov/tcrs and look at the tab titled “Proposed Plans for Local Gov’t.”

Governor Haslam, Commissioner Hagerty Release Regulatory Reform Report

2012-01-09T08:59:00.002-06:00

Federal and State Regulations Reviewed for Potential Negative Impact on Businesses

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty last Friday released the Regulatory Reform Report, an ECD-led review of federal and state rules and regulations impacting businesses. One of the key strategies of the governor’s Jobs4TN economic development plan was to conduct this review with the goal of identifying obstacles to investment.

“To reach our goal of becoming the No. 1 state in the Southeast for high quality jobs, we must always be focused on strengthening our attractive business climate to attract and grow Tennessee jobs,” Haslam said. “This regulatory review process was important to identify areas for improvement both through internal and external evaluations.”

In conducting the review, ECD surveyed Tennessee business leaders, advocacy groups and state departments to identify federal and state laws, regulations and processes that could have a negative impact on economic development and job creation in the state.

“I want to thank those who gave of their time and participated in the regulatory review process, including Tennessee businesses, local stakeholders and our fellow state government departments. Their cooperation and feedback were essential to producing the Regulatory Reform Report,” Hagerty said. “Identifying areas where there are opportunities for improvement is the first step in streamlining and modernizing our regulatory environment and better serving the people and businesses of our state.”

The report suggests a number of recommendations, which include:

- Implementation of an assessment process for all regulations prior to being finalized.
- Improved customer service by regulatory enforcement entities in working with constituents on regulatory compliance and clearly communicating inspector expectations.
- Strengthening the culture of customer service throughout state government by employee training and accountability measures.
- Working with each state department to eliminate or modify redundant or cumbersome regulations identified through the review process.
- Conducting an annual survey of businesses to track problematic federal regulations.
- Reviewing procedures and processes performed by multiple departments to assess opportunities for streamlining them.
- Continuing ongoing dialogue with businesses about issues of concern such as workers’ compensation and unemployment laws.
- Requiring every department that enforces regulations to create uniform regulatory guidance, where applicable, in order to promote certainty, consistency and oversight within the process.
- Developing an interactive, “one stop” website that allows constituents to easily find regulatory information with appropriate departments, boards or commissions posting relevant notices and information on the site.
- Assessment of the necessity and function of state boards and commissions.

The regulatory review process involved three steps: a broad survey of businesses, a series of statewide roundtable discussions and regulatory self-evaluations by each department of state government.

More than 150 surveys were completed and compiled, and then used as a framework for a series of roundtables involving nearly 200 businesses statewide. Details on survey findings and notes from the roundtables are found in the report.

Each department within state government was also asked to evaluate regulations within their jurisdiction that could be streamlined, eliminated or deemed burdensome to business. Many departments are already going through this process as part of their top-to-bottom reviews.

The complete Regulatory Review Report can be found at: tn.gov/ecd/pdf/Regulatory_Reform_Report.pdf.

Governor Unveils Public Safety Strategy

2012-01-05T14:47:00.001-06:00

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced a comprehensive, multi-year action plan designed to improve public safety statewide.

The Governor’s Public Safety Subcabinet Working Group, which includes commissioners and representatives from 11 state agencies, submitted the plan after months of meetings with more than 300 public safety professionals and stakeholders across the state.

The three goals of the public safety action plan are to significantly reduce drug abuse and drug trafficking; curb violent crime; and lower the rate of repeat offenders. There are 11 objectives and 40 action steps outlined in the plan, all specifically linked to those goals.

“Keeping our citizens safe is one of state government’s primary responsibilities,” Haslam said. “This action plan is a detailed road map that addresses some of our toughest safety challenges head on. I am proud of this group – whose members bring a number of different perspectives to the table – for working together to recommend meaningful solutions. They are coordinating their efforts and moving in the same direction to implement this plan.”

While it is a multi-year strategy, the subcabinet working group expects to launch approximately 20 of the steps in 2012. Several of these steps include:

Making improvements to the current prescription drug data base to make it easier to identify abusers;

Developing regional alliances with other states to tackle prescription drug abuse;

Placing non-violent drug addicts into drug court treatment programs;

Imposing tougher sentences for certain types of gang-related crimes;

Enacting tougher sentences for gun possession by those with prior violent felony convictions;

Realigning under the Department of Correction the supervision of adult felony offenders to include probation, parole and community corrections; and

Mandating incarceration time for repeat domestic violence offenders.

Eight of the identified action steps are already underway. Some of those steps include:

Development of a real-time database to track the purchases of pseudoephedrine products (commonly used to make meth);

A statewide meth lab clean-up system;

Development of a new anti-meth communications campaign;

In-depth training of all state road troopers on drug interdiction; and

A pilot effort in Shelby County to create a one-stop shop for assistance and services to inmates returning to the community.

“While we have seen an improvement, Tennessee continues to have a violent crime rate far above the national average and the highest among southeastern states,” Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons, who chairs the working group, said. “This plan addresses many of the underlying factors that lead to crime in our state and takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the problem.”

The Public Safety Subcabinet Working Group includes commissioners of the departments of Safety and Homeland Security, Mental Health, Children’s Services, Correction, Health and Military along with the chairman of the Board of Probation and Parole, the directors of the Governor’s Highway Safety Office (Department of Transportation), Office of Criminal Justice Programs (Department of Finance and Administration), Law Enforcement Training Academy (Department of Commerce and Insurance) and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

The subcabinet working group has received additional support from the Tennessee Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, and the Center for Non-Profit Management.

Governor Annouces New Regional Strategic Plans for Economic Development

2011-12-19T10:23:00.003-06:00

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty today announced on Friday December 16th the release of nine regional strategic plans outlining how ECD’s field staff will lead new economic development efforts in their regions, support existing networks of local organizations and serve as an effective conduit between the department and regional stakeholders. The plans can be viewed at http://tn.gov/ecd/.

Gov. Haslam’s Jobs4TN economic development plan, announced earlier this year, decentralized ECD and established nine jobs base camps throughout the state. Jobs base camp regional directors and their staffs created the strategic plans through a variety of outreach efforts, stakeholder meetings and consensus building activities.

“Jobs4TN was designed to take a more regional approach to job creation so we can better understand and serve the needs of each region,” Haslam said. “The strategic plans will be a guide for economic development growth as we continue working to become the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.”

“With assets varying greatly throughout Tennessee, it is important that we address each region’s strengths and challenges individually, and the strategic plans help us do just that,” Hagerty said. “Working with our local partners, we were able to develop plans specifically tailored to the needs of our nine regions.”

Each strategic plan is unique to its region yet common themes emerged, including enhancing communication amongst economic development partners, sharing best practices, reaching out to existing businesses and partnering with area stakeholders. The plans will continue to be reviewed and revisited with local partners on a regular basis.

State Report Card on Education

2011-12-07T10:27:00.001-06:00

The Tennessee Department of Education on Friday released complete results from the 2011 state Report Card. The release includes district- and school-level data on a variety of indicators, from student achievement and growth on standardized tests, to attendance and behavior.

This is the department’s fourth major data release this year, following the summer release of statewide Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program and Adequate Yearly Progress results, as well as the recent list of Reward, Priority and Focus schools slated for state support under the state’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act Flexibility request.

This year’s data release timeline aligns with the department’s strategic plan to get as much information as possible to parents and families, to help them be active participants in their children’s education, Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman said.

“Data-driven education reform only works when numbers and information can be used to make informed, timely decisions,” Huffman said. “We look forward to continuing to get data and information to the public in the most useful format possible.”

Tennessee submitted its flexibility request — a waiver from certain portions of the No Child Left Behind Act — on Nov. 14. Part of the state’s application included a proposed new accountability model and governance structure for the state’s schools and districts. If the U.S. Department of Education approves the waiver, the current accountability would be replaced with the department’s proposal, which can be found at: http://tn.gov/education/doc/ESEA_Flexibility_Request.pdf.

To see results from the 2011 Tennessee Report Card, visit: http://edu.reportcard.state.tn.us/pls/apex/f?p=200:1:7867592151504984.

Tennessee Departmental Budget Hearings Underway in East Tennessee

2011-11-22T13:04:00.005-06:00

Today, Governor Haslam's departmental budget hearings continue in Knoxville with the Department of Education budget hearing.

Also, today will feature budget hearings for the departments of Agriculture, Tourism, Children's Services, and Veterans Affairs. The TennCare budget will be heard on November 28th. These hearings will wrap up this round of the Governor's budget hearings. Video of these hearings is available at http://www.tn.gov/. at the link for budget hearings. If you miss the live presentations, the video is archived for later viewing.

One highlight from the Department of Education budget hearing is that the proposed funding increase for the BEP for FY 2011-2012 is $53.8 million. Of that figure, approximately $20 million is for expected growth in student enrollment. The remaining increase is due to inflationary factors in the BEP formula itself.

Feds Restore Funding for Meth Clean-Up

2011-11-22T12:59:00.003-06:00

This past February, federal funds to offset clean-up costs for meth labs dried up. This past week, a federal appropriations act restored $12.5 million in funding for this program. In 2010, the funding was over $19 million. While this new funding is not likely to be enough to meet all demands, it should assist. There was concern nationally as the loss of revenue to deal with the costs associated with the labs seemed to discourage enforcement. Seizures in Tennessee were down 32% over the prior year.

For more on this issue, see this article in the Tennessean here.

New Round of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants Announced

2011-09-29T09:02:00.001-05:00

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development yesterday announced that applications for a third round of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) will be accepted beginning on Oct. 17. The department has previously awarded $12.1 million in grants to 135 communities throughout the state to implement energy efficient projects.

“The EECBG grants have allowed us to work with communities across the state in their efforts to become more energy efficient,” said Molly Cripps, director, Energy Division, ECD. “These efforts will not only benefit our state environmentally but also provide jobs for Tennesseans.”

The grants will be used to fund a variety of energy efficiency and conservation programs in the local communities, including retrofits to lighting and HVAC systems, as well as the installation of renewable energy systems.

The application for the EECBG grants can be found at http://www.tn.gov/ecd/recovery/eecbg.html.

Applications will be accepted by the department starting on Oct. 17 and will be scored on the local government’s overall conservation strategy, project feasibility, readiness to proceed, community impact, partnerships and the ability to extend funding impact beyond a one-time use. Applications will be accepted and scored on a first-come, first-served basis until the funds are depleted. Previous recipients of the EECBG grants are not eligible.

The EECBG program is projected to cumulatively produce more than 92 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy savings annually, resulting in an estimated cost-savings of $8 million per year for Tennessee communities. In addition, approximately 149 jobs will be created by the more than 140 grants awarded. The EECBG program is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, through the Department of Energy, Award Number DE-EE0000958.

For more information on the EECBG program in Tennessee, visit
http://www.tn.gov/ecd/recovery/eecbg.html.

Haslam Administration Plans for Responding to Potential Federal Funding Cuts

2011-09-27T10:07:00.000-05:00

This summer, the Governor directed state departments to identify and prepare plans for the impact of potential cuts in Federal funding to state governments. A summary of those response plans are available on the Department of Finance and Administration Website here: http://www.tn.gov/finance/newsrel/Documents/2103FedRevLossPlanSummary.pdf

This document highlights the amount of potential cuts from departments and programs then provides a summary of where cuts are likely to be made. For additional detail, the Department has also posted detailed department plans with specific cuts indicated. Those detailed plans can be found here: http://www.tn.gov/finance/newsrel/Documents/2103FedRevLossPlanDetail.pdf

Impact of Recession on Local Tax Base

2011-09-26T15:45:00.003-05:00

The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations has completed a report on the continuing impact of the recession on the local government tax base. The report can be found on their website at this address: http://www.tn.gov/tacir/Special%20html%20Reports/slowdown.html

One sobering statistic from the report: Fifty counties in Tennessee collected less sales tax revenue in Fiscal Year 2011 than in Fiscal Year 2007. So although there has been modest growth in revenue in many counties this past year, revenues still have not rebounded to pre-recession levels in over half the counties.

The report also discusses the impact of the recession on the local property tax base, a phenomenon that has been slower to appear due to appraisal cycles.

Regional Meetings Going Well

2011-09-13T09:19:00.003-05:00

I've got to see many county commissioners and mayors so far this month at the first 4 of our regional meetings across the state. The second half of these meetings kicks off tonight (September 13) with our meeting in Cleveland, Tennessee. Later in the week, we'll be at Paris Landing State Park. Next week is our meeting in Jackson with the final meeting in Springfield the following week. We've had some great discussions of issues of importance to counties. Thanks also to those state legislators and congressional staffers who have come to the meetings.

Debt Management Policies

2011-09-02T09:23:00.003-05:00

From a press release from the State Comptroller:

Governments Have Four Months to Develop Debt Management Policies

Governments across Tennessee have four more months to develop or revise their debt management policies to conform with standards issued by the State Funding Board.

Last year, the Funding Board agreed to require governments that wish to borrow money to adopt policies no later than Dec. 31, 2011. The requirement applies not only to city and county governments, but other public entities that issue debt, including industrial development boards, utility districts and quasi-governmental agencies.

Comptroller Justin P. Wilson sent letters to local government leaders dated September 1, reminding them of the deadline.

The standards designed by the Funding Board are intended to give local governments discretion in crafting their debt management policies, provided they follow four guiding principles. Those principles are:

Debt transactions should be clearly understood by those involved in making the decisions about them

Citizens should be able to get clear explanations about the transactions

Steps should be taken to avoid conflicts of interest among the parties involved in the transactions

Costs and risks association with the transactions should be clearly disclosed

More information about the standards can be found online at: http://www.comptroller1.state.tn.us/sl/DebtManagement.asp

Many organizations, including the University of Tennessee’s County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), are providing assistance to local governments in developing or refining their debt management policies. Local governments may also seek the help of professionals such as financial advisors or bond lawyers.

Additionally, those with questions about the standards may e-mail IGpublic.Finance@tn.gov or call Ann Butterworth, Assistant to the Comptroller for Public Finance, at (615) 401-7910.

Economic Development Webinar On-Line

2011-09-02T09:16:00.002-05:00

Jobs4TN Regional Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program Webinar Now Available Online

NOTE: QUICK DEADLINE FOR LETTER OF INTENT FOR GRANT APPLICANTS

An information session about the competitive grant opportunity for the Jobs4TN Regional Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program was held in Nashville on Thursday, Sept. 1. Watch the webinar from the session here.

Commissioner Hagerty announced last week that the department is accepting applications for a competitive grant to support nine regional business accelerators across the state. The grants will award $250,000 to a regional entrepreneurial accelerator in each economic development region. Interested parties are encouraged to file a letter of intent with the department by Sept. 6 at 5 p.m. CST; applications are due to ECD by Sept. 30 at 5 p.m. CST.

With questions about the program or application, please email ECD.Innovation@tn.gov.

U.S. Secretary of Education Cites TN as Example of State Deserving NCLB Waiver

2011-08-08T15:20:00.002-05:00

From the Knoxville News Sentinnel site Humphrey on the Hill:

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today cited Tennessee as an example of a state that has "done a great job" in setting education standards and deserving of a waiver from No Child Left Behind.

Duncan's comments came in a telephone news conference with reports around the nation to outline his general plans for granting waivers to NCLB. Specifics will be provided next month, he said, and the process of granting approvals will begin shortly thereafter.

While he stopped short of specifically saying Tennessee would be granted a waiver, Duncan came pretty close.

For the full article, go here.

Economic Development Workshops Offered in August

2011-08-03T13:45:00.002-05:00

The UT County Technical Assistance Service will be offering a series of workshops entitled Baisc Principles of Economic development for County Officials during the month of August. The classes will be taught August 23 in Knoxville, August 24 in Franklin and August 25 in Jackson. All courses are held 8:00 am to 12:00 noon local time. For more information about the classes or to register, go to www.ctas.tennessee.edu.

CTAS Index of Acts Available On-Line

2011-07-13T11:03:00.001-05:00

The 2011 edition of the CTAS Index of Acts Related to County Government is on the Legislative Information page of the CTAS website. To view the document, click here.

This publication contains summaries of the public and private acts affecting county government that were passed by the General Assembly this year. These summaries are intended to give county officials notice of changes in the laws affecting their offices. Prior to taking action based on these new laws, the actual text of the law should be reviewed. The full text of all of the new laws can be found on the website of the Tennessee Secretary of State listed by public or private chapter number: http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts.

Release of TCAP Data on School System Performance

2011-07-11T11:44:00.002-05:00

Last Friday, the Tennessee Department of Education released district-level 2010-2011 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement Test results. Now available online, the statewide and district-by-district breakdown shows how each school district performed in advancing student growth in all subject areas and grade levels three through eight.

Across the state, Tennessee students scored higher in all subject areas and grade levels in grades three through eight on this year’s TCAP achievement tests by comparison to 2009-2010 results. Student math scores grew by 7% and reading scores grew by 3.7%. These improvements show student success with the heightened academic standards implemented last year. An extended version of the statewide press conference is available online.

For the first time, TCAP achievement test results are being made publicly available on the department’s website in a district-by-district breakdown that shows the percentage of students who scored at the below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced levels in grades three through eight. High school end of course results and AYP determinations are not finalized and will likely be released in the coming weeks.

Students in Grades 3-8 take the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement Test each spring. The Achievement Test is a timed, multiple choice assessment that measures skills in Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Student results are reported to parents, teachers and administrators. To view the 2010-2011 TCAP results, visit the Tennessee Department of Education website homepage at http://tn.gov/education.

All 2011 Tennessee Legislation Now Available On-Line

2011-07-11T11:40:00.001-05:00

All of the legislation approved this year, during the first session of the 107th General Assembly, is now available online at the Office of Secretary of State web site. These documents - including 510 public acts, 32 private acts and 1,071 resolutions – can be found at: http://www.tn.gov/sos/acts/index.htm

Laws Taking Effect July 1, 2011

2011-06-28T10:48:00.001-05:00

The General Assembly has a listing available on their website of new laws and changes to laws that take effect July 1 of this year. Much of the legislation that passes takes effect at the start of the new fiscal year, particularly if it relates to finance or taxation. Other bills may take effect immediately (i.e. when signed by the Governor) or, in rare cases, at some later date established specifically in the legislation.

Here is a link to those laws taking effect on Friday, July 1, 2011.

New Laws Effective July 1

2011-06-27T13:57:00.001-05:00

Mobile blogging is a new social media that can allow users to post using a cell phone instead of a computer. This post was created that way as a test.

Governor Appoints State's First Procurement Officer

2011-06-27T13:51:00.002-05:00

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced the appointment of Jessica Robertson as the state's first Chief Procurement Officer today. Robertson most recently served as Deputy Commissioner for the Indiana Department of Administration managing the operations for the state's procurement division. In this position, Robertson set policy for procurement and negotiated multi-million dollar contracts.

Tennessee Public Act 1098 of 2010 created a Tennessee state procurement commission, a procurement office, a chief procurement officer, a state protest committee and an advisory committee on procurement. The Act consolidates all procurement responsibility and allows negotiations and decisions to be handled by the procurement commission, procurement office and chief procurement officer. The procurement office will be managed by the Tennessee Department of General Services.

Robertson will begin as chief procurement officer on July 1. "Transforming the way Tennessee negotiates contracts will be an exciting new chapter for me," Robertson said. "I look forward to making Tennessee my new home while working to make a difference for the state's stakeholders."

TBI Crime in Schools Report

2011-05-26T10:42:00.002-05:00

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation today released its annual study dedicated to crime in Tennessee’s schools. Produced by TBI’s Crime Statistics Unit, the study spans a three-year period between 2008 and 2010 and is based on numbers submitted by Tennessee law enforcement agencies to the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System (TIBRS). The state’s first ever school crimes study was released in May of 2009.

The reported number of crimes that occurred at schools decreased by 1.6% from 2009 to 2010 and there was an overall decrease of 3.4% between 2008 and 2010. There were 13,110 crimes reported at schools in 2010 compared to 13,327 in 2009. This report is based on incidents submitted by law enforcement agencies and excludes offenses reported by colleges and universities. Those statistics are compiled in TBI’s “Crime on Campus” report that was released earlier this year.

“School Crimes Study” Quick Facts

- 2.3% of all crimes reported in the state occurred at a school.

- The reported numbers of crimes occurring at schools decreased by 1.6% from 2009. There were 13,110 crimes reported in 2010 compared to 13,327 in 2009.

- Simple assault was the most frequently reported crime at 4,885 offenses.

- Crimes against persons increased by 3.4%, but crimes against property decreased by 9.1%.

- More crimes occurred on Friday than any other day of the week and most resulted in no injury to the victim.

- 51% of the time, the relationship between the offender and victim was acquaintance.

It is important to understand the characteristics surrounding school crime and its offenders and victims. This understanding will help schools, policy makers, law enforcement and the public learn how to better combat crime that occurs at these institutions. To view the “School Crimes Study” for 2010 in its entirety, go to the TBI website at www.tbi.tn.gov.

Legislative Session Ends

2011-05-26T10:39:00.002-05:00

On May 21st, the General Assembly concluded its business and adjourned till 2012. This ended a long week of late nights and extensive debates on a wide variety of topics. The Tennessee County Services Association Legislative Conference in Gatlinburg on June 7 and 8 will include sessions to update county officials on the impact of the state budget and new legislation affecting counties. I hope to see you there.

Governor Files Supplemental Budget Amendment

2011-05-16T11:19:00.001-05:00

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has filed an amendment with the General Assembly that adjusts next year’s budget proposal to reflect new estimates on increased state revenues. The supplemental appropriations amendment (SB2090/HB2139) includes funding that was not included in the budget the governor presented in March, which was based on earlier revenue projections.

Notable funding priorities in the governor’s budget amendment include:
• $71.3 million for disaster relief resulting from recent storms and flooding.
• $4.7 million for the Department of Intellectual Disabilities Services to restore residential rates.
• $1.9 million for mental health services for residents of Northeast Tennessee through the Mountain State Health Alliance.
• $8.5 million to restore previously scheduled rate reductions of 8.5 percent to mental health providers in TennCare.
• $5 million for payments to the Memphis Regional Medical Center, Nashville General Hospital and Jellico Community Hospital.
• $3.5 million additional for smoking cessation assistance in TennCare.
• $6.9 million grant for three programs at Meherry Medical College.
• $220,000 for first-year debt service on construction bonds for $22.6 million, 108-bed State Veterans’ Home in Clarksville.
• $2.5 million for the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.
• $1 million recurring to limit the impact of the Hall Income Tax on eligible seniors 65 years and older, beginning in fiscal year 2012-2013.
• $19.9 million additional for lottery scholarships to fund students’ ability to utilize them during summer school.
• $5 million to the University of Memphis for operations on the Lambuth campus in Jackson.
• $21.1 million for state building maintenance, plus $1 million for a statewide capital improvements master plan for Higher Education and state facilities.
• $16.5 million for a potential major economic development expansion project.

The budget amendment assumes a reimbursement of approximately $82 million in Medicaid funding errors, which the federal government says is owed to the state. Several healthcare-related investments are contingent on receiving those funds, as well as higher education investments:

The General Assembly is expected to consider the budget this week.

Redistricting Manual Available On-Line

2011-04-29T11:17:00.004-05:00

The Office of Local Government within the State Comptroller's Office has developed a 36 page manual on Redistricting. The 2011 Guide to Local Redistricting in Tennessee is availablehere. The manual outlines both legal and administrative requirements for completing this process, discussing the impact of the constitution and state and federal laws on redistrcting as well as the requirements for the proper use of census data.

At our County Government Day event earlier this month, Tom Fleming, the Director of the Office of Local Government, spoke and ran through a quick reference guide to the process. That document, which was distributed at the meeting, is included as an appendix to this larger manual along with a glossary of important terms. Additional training on the subject will be available to county officials at the TCSA Post-Legislative Conference in Gatlinburg June 7 and 8.

County Government Day

2011-04-21T11:11:00.003-05:00

Thanks to everyone for coming to the county government day event this week. The turnout was amazing and you really helped to make the event a success. The general session breakfast featured an excellent slate of speakers, including Governor Bill Haslam, Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey, Speaker of the House Beth Harwell, and we were also honored and pleased to hear from U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander who became available as a last minute addition.

The State of Tennessee's Bridges

2011-04-01T10:31:00.004-05:00

A new report by the group Transportation for America highlights the problems in our country with our aging infrastructure. Their main website: http://t4america.org/ has a report on the state of bridges in our nation. The site includes an interactive map that allows you to get information about where you live, or see info on a state by state basis. Tennessee performs better than most other states, but still has a significant number of structurally deficient bridges. A report specific to Tennessee can be found here. It includes a ranking of the 95 counties based on the percentage of their bridges that are deficient. The data is based on a required federal bridge survey of all structures greater than 20 feet. Therefore, there are a significant number of locally maintained structures that are too small to be included in this study. For this reason, it will not give you a complete picture of the needs of your transportation system, but still can show you where your county ranks generally.

Out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Tennessee ranks 44th in terms of deficiency. This is one report where it is good to be in the 40's as the report orders the states with number 1 being the most deficient and number 51 being in the best condition. Although Tennessee generally looks good compared to the rest of the nation there is still tremendous concern for an increasing backlog of repairs which are building up faster than funding is available to address the needs. Nationwide, Federal estimates indicate that the United States needs approximately $71 Billion to eliminate the backlog of needed repairs while on an annual basis, only $5.2 Billion has been allocated for bridge repair funding. As the years go by, more and more bridges are aging beyond their designed use and the problem is only expected to grow.

County Health Rankings

2011-03-31T11:26:00.004-05:00

A national report issued this week ranks all counties in the county for health issues. This is a joint project of the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. At www.countyhealthrankings.org you can find detailed information arranged state by state and county by county on a variety of heatlh related issues. By clicking on an individual county, you can then see how that community scored on a number of factors.

There are two primary categories: Health Factors and Health Outcomes. A number of different individual health factors shape a community’s health outcomes. The County Health Rankings model includes four types of health factors: health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic, and the physical environment. The site then compares two types of health outcomes to represent how healthy each county is: how long people live (mortality) and how healthy people feel (morbidity).

Tennessee 2010 Census Data

2011-03-17T13:59:00.003-05:00

The US Census Bureau released Tennessee data this week. You can access the data through this link. A map showing the percentage of population change by county is available here.

Now that the data is available, counties will begin working through the redistricting process over the coming months.

Governor Haslam's Budget Available on the Internet

2011-03-17T13:41:00.004-05:00

UPDATED

The entire budget document is available on the Internet as well as video of the speech, the text of the speech, a fact sheet and a 30 slide overview presentation which was used to present the budget to the Senate and House finance committees.

These can all be accessed through http://tn.gov/stateofthestate/media/

U.S. County Population Estimates

2011-03-07T09:43:00.001-06:00

The Census Bureau today released a downloadable file with county population estimates from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2010. These estimates are neither 2010 Census counts nor are they based on the 2010 Census. Once official 2010 Census counts have been released for counties in all states, the Census Bureau will release a comparison of April 1, 2010, census counts and April 1, 2010 population estimates.

The data can be accessed here.

Legislature Files Over 2000 Bills in Each Chamber

2011-02-21T09:22:00.002-06:00

The general bill filling deadline for the Tennessee General Assembly passed last Thursday. After this point, private acts and certain budgetary acts may be filed, but otherwise, general legislation is not to be filed unless approved by a late bills committee. The Senate ended up with 2082 bills to date. The House with 2124. Those bills that do not have a companion bill filed in the other chamber will not be eligible for passage this year. The legislation deals with a wide variety of issues. Many of the bills impact services provided by county government or the general administration of county government. We are working through the process of analyzing all this legislation and will be reporting bills of interest to you.

Governor Haslam Announces Legislative Package

2011-02-18T09:24:00.001-06:00

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam this week introduced his administration’s legislative package for the 2011 session, focusing on educating the workforce, identifying the best teachers and revising the state’s civil justice system.

Haslam’s legislative package is a single piece of his jobs agenda to make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.

The legislation seeks to:

• Make tenure tied to classroom performance; extend probationary time from three to five years
• Lift the cap on charter schools and allow open enrollment
• Allow the state’s Achievement School District (part of First to the Top) to authorize charter schools
• Extend use of the lottery scholarship for summer courses and cap the total number of hours based on required degree completion
• Limits non-economic damages for both healthcare liability action and other personal injury actions
• Limits and clarifies standards for assessing punitive damages
• Limits appeal bond amounts

“Our legislation being filed with the Tennessee General Assembly is tightly focused on opportunities to enhance job creation and is one piece of our agenda to make Tennessee more competitive in the Southeast,” Haslam said.

Other pieces of Haslam’s jobs agenda include streamlining state government and aggressively examining rules and regulations to assure this three-part test is met: will they make a difference, are they performance-based, and what the expected outcomes are.

Also, the Department of Economic and Community Development is focused on a top-to-bottom approach that aligns state efforts with returns on investment.

“These initial steps in transforming state government will lead to more efficiency and effectiveness and deliver excellent customer service,” Haslam said.

For more, see the full press release and statement here: http://news.tnanytime.org/node/6721

Amazing Turnout Expected for Education Workshops

2011-02-04T08:51:00.004-06:00

So far, the four evening education workshops for county commissioners have a total of 168 people registered. It's a great problem to have, but the Knox County meeting has maxed out at 75 and can take no more registrations.

These classes will be very informative for county commissioners and relate to one of the most important and complicated aspects of county government services and budgeting. I'm very excited and encouraged that there has been such a strong response to the classes.

Articles Related to Hall Income Tax Proposals

2011-01-26T09:57:00.003-06:00

Tom Humphreys of the Knoxville News Sentinnel has two excellent articles on his blog from AP reporter Erik Schelzig about a legislative proposal to abolish the Hall Income Tax in Tennessee. He focuses on the impact such a proposal would have on local governments that currently receive a share of the tax. In total, the local government share is around $62 million out of a total in Hall Income Tax collections of $172 million.

One article breaks down the revenue distributed to local governments by county. Keep in mind though, that these figures include distributions to the county as well as all municipal governments in the county. The lion's share of the revenue going to local governments from the Hall Income tax goes to municipalities - somewhere between two thirds to three fourths depending on the year.

You can find the articles at his blog: http://blogs.knoxnews.com/humphrey/

Tom is considered the dean of Capital Hill reporters and generally has his finger on the pulse of things going on at the Legislative Plaza.

Analysis of the Basic Education Program

2011-01-24T10:06:00.002-06:00

In December, the Offices of Research and Education Accountability wtihin the State Comptroller's Office released a Legislative Brief on Tennessee's Basic Education Program. The 34 page document summarizes the provisions of the law, explains how the various funding components work and provides several charts of system by system comparisons of funding and costs.

The publication is available on-line here.

Training Available on K-12 Education Funding and Reform

2011-01-24T09:30:00.003-06:00

The County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) and TCCA are offering a training session about Education Funding and Reform. This is the second class in the series of evening workshops that began last fall with the Overview of the County Commission in Tennessee classes.

This class is designed to inform county commissioners about how education funding in Tennessee is structured while also providing an overview of major developments in education reform currently being implemented in our school systems. The funding portion of the class will give officials a general understanding of the Basic Education Program formula which is used to determine state and local funding for K-12 school systems in Tennessee. The funding portion of the class will focus on how an individual system’s share of education funding is determined, including the calculation of local fiscal capacity, and describe the funding requirements that state law places on local funding bodies. The reform portion of the class will review recent developments in Tennessee related to k-12 education reform, including changes in school standards and assessments through the Tennessee Diploma Project, the impact of Race to the Top Grants, the First to the Top program, changes in teacher assessments and other possible reforms. The intent is to help county officials understand new changes that are currently being implemented and how they will impact the overall performance, operation and evaluation of their local school system. Dinner will be provided at 6:00 p.m. with the session offered from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Attendance is free for county officials.

County Commissioners should be receiving a mail notice and registration form about these workshops. The dates and locations are below.

SouthEast Tennessee
Tuesday, February 8 Athens
Athens Conference Center
2405 Decatur Pike, Athens, TN

East Tennessee
Wednesday, February 9 Knoxville
UT Conference Center Building (Room 413A)
600 Henley Street. Knoxville, TN

West Tennessee
Thursday, February 17 Jackson
West TN Research and Education Center (Room A)
605 Airways Boulevard, Jackson, TN

Middle Tennessee
Wednesday, March 23 Franklin
Williamson County Ag Expo Park
4215 Long Lane, Franklin, TN

Statement of Disclosure of Interest due by January 31

2011-01-24T09:23:00.004-06:00

All local elected officials are required to file a Statement of Disclosure of Interests (Form 22-8005) with the Tennessee Ethics Commission. This requirement also applies to officials who were appointed to fill a vacancy in an elected public office. The deadline for filing the statement is January 31. You can file this report online by going to www.tennessee.gov/sos/tec/forms.htm and clicking on the appropriate link or you can download the file, fill it out and mail it in. It is available for download here.

If you have questions about the disclosure requirement or form, contact the commission office at (615) 741-7959 or by email at ethics.counsel@state.tn.us.

Social Media Publication

2011-01-24T09:15:00.003-06:00

The University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) has created a publication that is a guide for municipalities in the use of social media. I often refer to CTAS publications and training programs here. What CTAS does for counties, MTAS does for municipalities. While the publication is directed more toward cities, there is information that may be of interest to any local government. It discusses how social media may be used for interacting with employees, communicating with citizens and marketing your community. It reviews the benefits of using social media but also provides warnings for potential areas of concern related to privacy, employment and harassment.

The 22 page publication can be found here.

Flurry of Activity this Week

2011-01-13T13:38:00.004-06:00

This week marks the organizational session of the Tennessee General Assembly. New members have been sworn in. The Speaker of the House and Lieutenant Governor of the Senate have been elected. Other leadership positions have been filled.

There were no surprises at the top in either chamber. Ron Ramsey returns as Lt. Governor. Beth Harwell was elected the Speaker of the House 98-0 when the Democrats choose not to nominate a candidate. (The one missing vote was due to the vacancy that resulted from the death of long-time Representative Ulyssses Jones of Memphis.)

In joint session, the legislature returned David Lillard to the position of State Treasurer and Justin Wilson to the office of Comptroller of the Treasury. Secretary of State Tre Hargett still has two years remaining on his term.

Today, standing committee appointments were named. There were few changes in the State Senate, except that Sen. Ken Yager was named chair of the State and Local Government Committee. Sen. Yager takes the post after Sen. Ketron moved to the position of Republican Caucus Chair with the departure of former Sen. Diane Black to Congress. Sen. Yager has extensive experience in county government, having served several terms as County Executive of Roane County.

In the House on the other hand, virtually every committee has new leadership. One exception is the State and Local Government Committee, where Rep. Curry Todd of Shelby County continues to serve as chair. Rep. Bob Ramsey of Blount County will serve as Vice Chair and Chair of the general subcommittee of the State and Local Government Committee. Speaker Harwell instituted the first major change under her leadership today when she revamped the subcommittee structure in the House of Representatives. Previously, every House committee had 2 or 3 subcommittees and all bills moved through a subcommittee before passage in a full committee. Now, each committee will have only one general subcommitee and not all bills will be referred to a subcommitee. The Speaker announced the change as a means of streamlining the legislative process.

The full leadership and membership of commitees and subcommittees should be available on the General Assembly's website soon.

This week's events will culminate Saturday with the innauguration of Governor-Elect Bill Haslam. After that event, the General Assembly is expected to recess for a 3 week break so that offices can be moved and staff can prepare for the many changes.

Additional Haslam Appointments

2011-01-07T15:27:00.003-06:00

This week, Bill Haslam announced two more members of his cabinet. He retained Susan Whitaker as the Commissioner of the Department of Tourist Development. She becomes the second hold over from the Bredesen administration. The other is Greg Gonzales at the Department of Financial Institutions.

Then today, the Governor-elect named Derrick Schofield as Commissioner of Corrections. Schofield is currently the assistant commissioner and chief of staff for the Georgia Department of Corrections. He is the first non-Tennesseean named to Haslam's cabinet.

With these appointments, Haslam has announced 10 of 22 state government department heads.

For more on the Schofield appointment, see Tom Humphrey's blog with the Knoxville News Sentinnel at http://blogs.knoxnews.com/humphrey/

Six Tennessee Counties Recognized by GFOA

2011-01-05T14:12:00.002-06:00

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has recognized the State of Tennessee and six Tennessee Counties for outstanding work in preparing last year's budget. The six counties are Bradley, Hamilton, Knox, Davidson, Shelby and Weakley.

In addition, 11 Tennessee cities were recognized.

The GFOA is an organization dedicated to enhancing and promoting the professional management of government finances through education, training, member networking and leadership programs. The GFOA has members throughout the United States and Canada.

Franklin City Mayor John Schroer Named as Commissioner of Transportation

2011-01-04T15:45:00.001-06:00

Tennessee Governor-elect Bill Haslam today announced Franklin Mayor John Schroer as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

Schroer was sworn in as Franklin Mayor in 2007, and is a member of the Middle Tennessee Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Regional Transit Authority.

Schroer spent a decade working in commercial real estate finance before starting his own development business. Prior to his election, he served on the Franklin Special School Board for 13 years, and he also has served on the board of the Tennessee School Board Association.

For more on this appointment, go to www.billhaslam.org

TCCA Board Meeting - February 1

2011-01-04T13:22:00.003-06:00

The Board of Directors of the Tennessee County Commissioners Association will meet in the ground floor conference room of the 226 Capitol Boulevard Building in Nashville on February 1st at 10:00 a.m. central time. The board will receive regular quarterly reports, discuss legislative initiatives for the upcoming session of the General Assembly, review legislation impacting county governments that has been filed to that date and conduct other business. The meeting is open to the public and the full membership. However, members should be aware that this board meeting, which is not held in conjunction with a broader conference, will include no presentations or programs other than the board meeting itself.

Unless a special meeting is called, the other board meetings of the association will occur in conjunction with the three major Tennessee County Services Association meetings and conferences:

County Government Day - Nashville - April 19 and 20
Legislative Conference - Glenstone Lodge, Gatlinburg, June 7 and 8
TCSA Fall Conference and Trade Show - Murfreesboro - October 26-28

Congrats to David Purkey

2011-01-04T13:15:00.003-06:00

With the holidays, this post is a little belated, but congrats to former Hamblen County Mayor David Purkey on his appointment as Assistant Commissioner for Homeland Security.

The Office of Homeland Security (OHS) was transferred from the Governor’s Office to the Tennessee Department of Safety in 2008, and OHS’s primary responsibility is directing statewide activities for the prevention of and protection from terrorist-related events. The office also serves as a liaison between federal, state and local agencies and the private sector on security matters.

For more information on this appointment, go to the Haslam transition website www.billhaslam.org.

Tennessee Receiving $1.4 million in Ag Funds for Schools and Some County Programs

2011-01-04T08:42:00.002-06:00

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that more than $389 million is being distributed to 41 states and Puerto Rico for public schools and roads and specific county programs. Tennessee will get $1.4 million.

In addition to payments for schools and roads, the Secure Rural Schools Act supports Firewise Communities programs, reimburses counties for emergency services on national forests and funds development of community wildfire protection plans.

For more on this, see the full article from the Kingsport Times News at http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9028771

Haslam Appoints Raquel Hatter as Human Services Commissioner

2010-12-22T08:56:00.001-06:00

Tennessee Governor-elect Bill Haslam this week announced Dr. Raquel Hatter as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services.

Devoting her life to social work, Hatter served the last three years as the President and CEO of Family & Children’s Service, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of families, children and individuals.

Hatter worked for 17 years in Flint, Mich. at the Whaley Children’s Center where she held several clinical and administrative roles from front line practitioner to President and CEO of the center.

“Dr. Hatter is a passionate expert in her field, and I’m proud that she’ll join our team in the new administration,” Haslam said. “She’s shown a dedication to families and children throughout her life, and Tennessee will be served well with her as Commissioner of Human Services.”

She currently serves on the Tennessee Council on Children’s Mental Health, Alliance for Children & Families Public Policy Committee, the National Building Bridges Initiative Cultural and Linguistic Competence Committee and American Association of Children's Residential Centers Board of Directors, among others.

“The state budget and the current economic climate present us with a new normal in which we have to continue to find new ways to ensure efficiency and effectiveness,” Hatter said. “I look forward to working with Gov.-elect Haslam, the administration, DHS staff, community partners and the people of Tennessee in our combined efforts to fulfill the DHS mission.”

Hatter has a Doctorate of Education in Child and Youth Studies from NOVA Southeastern University and a Masters in Social Work from Eastern Michigan University.

Hatter is married to Andre Hatter, and they have a son, Delano, and a daughter, Tiara.

Tennessee's Census Fact Sheet Page

2010-12-21T13:34:00.001-06:00

As information is released from the census bureau, you can get updates about Tennessee's demographics here.

TN Delays Release of Schools' Adequate Yearly Progress Results Again

2010-12-16T09:39:00.002-06:00

According to the Tennessean, the Tennessee Department of Education is again delaying the release of its 2009-10 Adequate Yearly Progress results, saying it will be January when schools find out if they met annual testing goals. A harder state curriculum and exams were implemented last school year. That changed how students are defined as having mastered or failed content on exams. New goals were also set that schools had to meet in reading and math. The state has requested two waivers from the U.S. Department of Education regarding this year's scores, contributing to the delay.

For the full article from the Tennessean, click here.

New House Democratic Leadership

2010-12-15T12:18:00.002-06:00

The House Democratic Caucus met this morning and selected its leadership for the upcoming General Assembly. Rep. Craig Fitzhugh was selected as minority leader, replacing Rep. Gary Odom. Rep. Mike Turner retained his position as caucus chair. Rep. Sherrie Jones is Democratic Whip. Rep. Joe Towns is assistant leader.

The Senate Democratic Caucus meets this afternoon. Few, if any, changes are expected in the Democratic leadership in the Senate.

Fiscal Review Meeting - State Revenue Forecast

2010-12-15T09:37:00.003-06:00

Director Jim White gave an overview of the economy and the state budget. Currently TN has the 18th highest unemployment rate in the nation. Housing starts remain at historic lows (lowest in 40 years). While risk has lessened somewhat, deflation is still a potential problem.

Historically, per capita sales tax revenues have grown, but if you adjust for inflation and rate increases, we are roughly where we were 20 years ago. We should not expect dramatic growth in sales tax collections. Sales tax collections peaked in 2008 at $6.8 billion with the state substantially below that level today. At the same time, we've seen a 20% reduction in franchise and excise tax collections. These two tax bases make up about 70% of the state's budget.

Over 2 years, total state tax collections have been reduced by 10%, far below peak collections in 2008. How long will it take to get back to pre-recession levels? With 4% growth it would be fiscal year 2013. While we are currently over budget projections, it will be difficult to maintain that level of growth over an extended period.

Many cuts in the state budget are not currently being experienced because of federal stimulus funds in the budget. But many cuts have been made. Several departments have seen cumulative cuts of 25%. To fully restore all the reductions that have been made over the last 3 years, it would take 30% revenue growth.

If we see a period of deflation, the state revenue forecast becomes substantially more negative. The consensus at the moment is that we will not enter deflation, but Director White wanted the committee to be aware of the possibility. He indicated that some aspects of the current US economy mirror the conditions in Japan shortly before that country entered an extended period of deflation.

Funding Board Meeting

2010-12-14T09:22:00.004-06:00

The state funding board held a joint meeting with the business tax study committee today. Lee Jones of the Federal Reserve of Atlanta reported on economic indicators. The economy is expected to strenghthen in the coming year, but growth will likely not be robust enough to significantly reduce unemployment. Even the most optimistic projections expect unemployment to remain above 8.5% through the end of 2011. The good news is that the possibility of a double dip recession appears much less likely. Retail sales have bounced back surprisingly strong since the end of the recession. The most recent results indicate that Tennessee is in recovery and has moved ahead of other southeastern states and the U.S. in personal income growth. Business investment remains robust. Inflation remains at very low levels, but the risk of deflation has declined.

New Leadership Structure in the House of Representatives

2010-12-08T15:01:00.004-06:00

Reports are coming out about staff decisions made by the presumptive Speaker, Rep. Beth Harwell. The word is that she is splitting the positions of chief of staff and house clerk. Chief of staff will be Gregory Gleaves (current executive director of TN Rep. Party). The new House clerk, replacing long time clerk Burney Durham will be former Rep. Joe McCord.

In the House Republican Caucus meeting today:
Judd Matheny was elected as nominee for Speaker Pro Tem
Gerald McCormick was elected Majority Leader
Debra Maggart was elected Caucus Chair
Kevin Brooks was elected as assistant leader.
Barrett Rich was elected GOP whip
Ryan Haynes was elected caucus vice chair
Vince Dean was elected floor leader

Still to come in January will be the important announcements of committee appointments and chairs.

Bill Gibbons Named Commissioner of Safety and Homeland Security

2010-12-08T13:59:00.004-06:00

Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons was named today as Commissioner of Safety and head of Homeland Security in the Haslam Administration. Gibbons served as a Shelby County Commissioner before being appointed DA. He was a candidate in the Republican Primary for Governor earlier this year before dropping out of a crowded field , citing an inability to raise sufficient funds.

House Caucus Meeting - Also Additional Cabinet Announcement Expected

2010-12-08T13:27:00.004-06:00

New legislators are in town for orientation. The House Republican Caucus is meeting this afternoon to vote on leadership positions. The Senate Republican Caucus meets tomorrow. The Haslam administration is planning a press conference this afternoon around 2:00 to make a "transition-related" announcement. In addition, the qualifying deadline to run for two vacancies in the General Assembly is tomorrow. Will update on these issues as information becomes available.

Tennessee Shows Slight Improvement in Health Ranking

2010-12-07T08:45:00.002-06:00

Tennessee has moved up two notches on America's Health Rankings from number 44 to number 42. Reasons for the improvement include a decrease in the percentage of people smoking, a lowering in the rate of preventable hospitalizations and a dip in the violent crime rate.

For more on this issue, see this article from the Tennessean.

Commissioner of Agriculture Named

2010-12-07T08:28:00.002-06:00

Last night, at the TN Farm Bureau Convention, Gov-Elect Haslam announced his cabinet appointee for the position of Commissioner of Agriculture. He named Julius Johnson, CAO for the TN Farm Bureau for the last 15 years, to lead the Department. Governor-elect Haslam stressed the importance of having a Commissioner of Agriculture that understands farming and the role agriculture can play in job creation, especially in the rural parts of our state that remain the hardest hit by unemployment.

For more on this appointment, go to the Nashville Post site here.

Haslam has named his legal counsel (Herbert Slatery), special assistant (Mark Cate) and deputy governor (Claude Ramsey). Johnson is the first commissioner named in the new Haslam cabinet. For more information on the Haslam transition, you can follow his administration at http://www.billhaslam.org/

Familiar Faces Coming to New Positions in Nashville

2010-12-06T09:49:00.004-06:00

Late last week there were reports of two high-profile appointments. One was the announcement of Claude Ramsey as Deputy Governor in the Haslam administration. Claude was recently elected to his fifth term as the Hamilton County mayor. He was an essential player in the efforts to recruit Volkswagen to Tennessee and has experienced tremendous sucesses in recruiting business and industry to his region during tough economic times. Prior to serving as mayor, Claude served a stint in the General Assembly in the 1970's, was a county commissioner in Hamilton County and the assessor of property.

Meanwhile, the Comptroller of the Treasury, Justin Wilson, announced the appointment of former Representative Jason Mumpower to his staff. Rep. Mumpower did not pursue re-election this year after serving as Republican Majority Leader. Mumpower will serve as the Executive Assistant to the Comptroller. His duties will include serving as a liaison to the General Assembly, representing the Comptroller on several boards and commissions and dealing with the overall management of the Comptroller’s office.

Commissioners Compensation and Benefits Survey Going Out

2010-12-02T09:39:00.002-06:00

Each year the Tennessee County Commissioners Association surveys its membership about a number of things pertaining to the compensation and benefits provided to members of the legislative body in all 95 counties. These surveys also ask for updates on who is currently serving as chair of the commission and when the commission's regular meetings are scheduled. The surveys are going out to county mayors and chairs of commissions today. Once we compile the information, it will be available on the main TCCA website. Last year's survey is currently available here.

High Unemployment Streak Could Exceed 1980's

2010-12-02T09:27:00.002-06:00

With November's rate expected to be 9.6%, that will mark the 19th consecutive month that the unemployment rate was over 9 percent. That would exceed the length of high unemployment during the 1980s recession. The Federal Reserve forcasts that the rate will still be near 9% at the end of 2011. For more, see this article from USA Today.

Delays Again in School Systems Reports

2010-12-02T09:18:00.003-06:00

According to this article in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press, the release of Adequate Yearly Progress reports for school systems has been pushed back again. Now, Department of Education officials expect to release that report and the official report card for the state and school systems around mid-December. Click on the link above for more information.

Tennessee Improves High School Graduation Rate

2010-11-30T13:12:00.003-06:00

According to an article in the Commercial Appeal (click here for the link), Tennessee has made dramatic gains in its high school graduation rate. In 2002 we had one of the lowest rates in the country at 59.6%. By 2008 that had improved to 74.9%. This 15% improvement led the nation. This article is reporting findings from a study by Johns Hopkins University and America's Promise Alliance, founded by Gen. Colin Powell. The website for that organization and a link to the full report can be found at http://americaspromise.org/ and at full graduation rate study report.

Busy Times

2010-11-08T13:39:00.002-06:00

Over the last couple of weeks, we had a tremendously successful TCSA fall conference, announced a new training program for county commissioners in conjunction with CTAS, welcomed several new members to the TCCA board and saw an election that had dramatic results. All these developments have made for a busy work schedule. I hope to update you soon on all these developments, as time permits.

Today, I'm at a hearing of the business tax study committee which is considering several issues today and tomorrow that impact county governments. Tomorrow afternoon I hit the road to Oak Ridge to teach the first training class in a new program designed to provide county commissioners with evening training opportunities to help make them better informed about their job. Three more classes will be taught across the state this month in Cookeville on the 8th, Gallatin on the 16th and Jackson on the 18th. I hope to see you at one of these classes. We hope to hit at least three more locations in the future if one of these locations is not convenient to you. This first class is a basic overview. More classes are planned on budgeting, capital planning, parliamentary procedure, education funding and several other issues.

NACo Database of Sample Codes and Ordinances

2010-10-18T13:08:00.002-05:00

The National Association of Counties (NACo) has created an online database of sample codes and ordinances that are listed by subject. This materials may be of interest to your county if you are considering a specific issue. Keep in mind that these are not tailored to Tennessee law. They may give you a starting place for drafting but should not be adopted "as is." A county commission interested in one of these samples should have the code or ordinance reviewed by the county attorney to see if there is authority in Tennessee law for a county to take such action and to determine whether the sample needs to be modified to conform to Tennessee law.

See the link below.
http://www.naco.org/research/solutions/Pages/CodesandOrdiances.aspx

TCSA Fall Conference Coming Up

2010-10-15T11:36:00.002-05:00

In less than two weeks, TCSA will be holding its annual fall conference and trade show in Pigeon Forge, TN. During the event, TCCA will have a membership meeting, board meeting and nominating committee meeting. This conference is when our new officers and board members will be selected. In addition to these meetings, there are numerous training and break-out sessions on topics of interest to county officials. With over 10 days still to go, we already have more folks registered for this year than attended the conference last year. It looks to be a great turnout. Hope to see you there.

State Revenue Collections

2010-10-15T11:33:00.001-05:00

Tennessee sales tax collections showed positive growth in September, as overall revenues grew compared to the same period last year. Finance and Administration Commissioner Dave Goetz reported that overall September revenues were $977.5 million or 6.14% above September 2009 collections.

September collections were $41.0 million more than the budgeted estimate. The general fund was over collected by $28.5 million and the four other funds were over collected by $12.5 million.

Sales tax collections were $1.0 million more than the estimate for September. The September growth rate was 2.15%. Franchise and excise taxes combined were $22.9 million above the September budgeted estimate of $246.6 million. The September growth rate was 10.36%.

Gasoline and motor fuel collections for September increased by 15.08% and they were $3.9 million above the budgeted estimate of $70.8 million.

Year-to date collections for two months were $35.6 million more than the budgeted estimate. The general fund was over collected by $17.8 million and the four other funds were over collected by $17.8 million.

"Tennessee Downtowns" Program Accepting Applications

2010-10-07T16:22:00.002-05:00

Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber announced today that applications are now being accepted for Tennessee Downtowns, a competitive community improvement program for cities and counties seeking to revitalize traditional commercial districts. The program is open to communities with downtown commercial districts established at least 50 years ago and whose citizens are ready to organize efforts for downtown revitalization based on the successful program “Main Street Four-Point Approach to Downtown Revitalizationtm.” Applications are available online at www.tennesseemainstreet.org and must be completed by Monday, Nov. 8.

For the full press release on this program announcement, go here.

County Officials Fees

2010-09-29T13:20:00.001-05:00

A question came up at one of the regional meetings about alternative ways of handling the funds collected by the so-called “fee offices”. The following material is adapted from the CTAS County Government Handbook and explains these options.

The sheriff, trustee, county clerk, register of deeds and court clerks receive fees from the public for services they perform; for this reason these officials are sometimes referred to as "fee officials." There are two methods of accounting for the fees received by these officers.

The first and oldest is the "fee system." Under this system each official remits to the trustee quarterly all of the fees and charges collected by the official in excess of expenses for the following items: salaries of the official's deputies and assistants, necessary expenses of the office, and the official's salary as established by statute. The official is also authorized to maintain a reserve in an amount equal to three times the monthly salaries of the official, deputies, and assistants. If the fees are insufficient to pay the regular expenses of the office, including the statutory salary of the official and the salaries of deputies and assistants, the deficit is to be paid out of county general funds. Excess fees are placed in the county general fund as a source of county revenue.

The county commission is authorized to adopt an alternative system for fee officials, often called the "budget" or "salary" system, although the sheriff is always under this alternative system. This budget system can be adopted for some or all of the officials. Under this method, the official pays over to the trustee all of the fees, commissions, and charges collected by the office on a monthly basis. The county commission must, in return, budget for expenses, authorizing the trustee to pay the official's salary, salaries of deputies and assistants, and authorized expenses of the office. These salaries and other proper costs of the office are included in the budget and must be paid even if the fees are insufficient to cover them.

Rural Library Grants

2010-09-29T12:49:00.001-05:00

Dozens of rural libraries across Tennessee will share in nearly $1.5 million in combined federal and state grants to provide computers, education courses and job skill training. The grants are targeted to help Tennesseans improve computer-related skills so they will be more competitive as they seek jobs.

The project is the culmination of more than a year’s effort by the Department of State and the Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD). The joint effort was successfully leveraged to secure additional funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. Of the nearly $1.5 million, ECD will provide $1,030,000 and the Department of State will provide up to $70,000. The remaining $356,577 will come from USDA Rural Development. The funds will be used to provide computers, peripheral equipment, high-speed Internet routers and instructors to conduct training classes.

In addition to administering the $70,000 grant, the Tennessee State Library and Archives, which is a division of the Tennessee Department of State, will administer the other grant funds. TSLA is currently assisting the local libraries in finalizing the consent agreements required before the money is disbursed.

For more info, see the full press release from the Department of State here.

Race to the Top Resources

2010-09-29T10:49:00.003-05:00

The State Department of Education has put together an Internet site with detailed information about the Race to the Top Program in Tennessee. I particularly recommend that county commissioners use the link on the site to download the approved Scope of Work that was proposed by your school system. These documents provide a detailed plan as to how your school system intends to use their portion of the federal grant to improve schools in your communities over the next four years.

You can find these resources by going to this website Race to the Top and then selecting your LEA (local education agency) from the drop down menu. There is a signature page within these scopes of work. If your school system is planning to use these funds in a manner that will create on-going obligations after the federal grant has expired, the chair of the funding body (county commission or city council) should have been required to sign off on the scope of work as well.

Dealing with Substance Abuse in Jails

2010-09-29T10:38:00.003-05:00

The link below connects you to a lengthy report on jails, prisons, substance abuse and the challenges facing correctional facilities. Somewhere there is a balance to be found between the cost of treating addictions of those incarcerated in order to reduce recidivism and ultimately lower costs of incarceration. The study is from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

Behind Bars II Substance Abuse and America's Prison Population.

A recent TN Department of Corrections report found that there were higher rates of recidivism for individuals held in local correctional facilities. One theory is that local jails do not have the resources to provide rehabilition and treatment programs and this may relate to the prisoners being more likely to commit additional crimes upon release. For a discussion of the TDOC report, go here.

Recommendations on Audit Committees

2010-09-22T07:11:00.003-05:00

The following is from a memorandum that went out to County Mayors and Finance Directors last week from the Division of County Audit.

The Local Government Modernization Act of 2005, Section 9-3-405, Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA), encourages local governments to consider establishing an audit committee and provides that the Comptroller may require an audit committee be established under certain conditions. The two conditions are when a local government is in noncompliance with the accounting and financial reporting standards required by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board or have recurring findings from the annual audit for three or more consecutive years as determined by the Comptroller to be a material weakness in internal control or material noncompliance with Government Auditing Standards.

We believe well structured audit committees can improve the financial management and overall governance of governmental entities in Tennessee. Our office (County Audit) has encouraged the establishment of an audit committee in local governments for many years. However, very few local governments have an effective audit committee. We believe in today’s environment of fewer resources and increased demand for transparency and accountability, it is time to focus on the audit committee
as an effective tool to improve the operations of local governments.

Beginning with the audits for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, when it has been determined that either of the conditions described in Section 9-3-405(a), TCA exists, there will be findings that address the county’s noncompliance with accounting and financial reporting standards and/or the existence of recurring audit findings. Both findings will include a recommendation encouraging the establishment of an audit committee under provisions of Section 9-3-405(a), TCA. If either of these conditions continue to occur, the county may be required to establish an audit committee. This committee will be responsible for addressing financial and other reporting practices, internal control, compliance with laws and regulations, and ethics. The audit committee should provide management with guidance to correct all reported material weaknesses in internal control and material noncompliance.

We (County Audit) will provide counties with guidelines regarding the establishment of effective audit committees. Please contact the Division of County Audit if you have any questions.

Great Meeting in Jonesborough

2010-09-22T07:09:00.003-05:00

Another excellent meeting in Jonesborough last night. Close to 100 in attendance. Representatives Dale Ford, David Hawk and Matthew Hill all joined us as well as representatives of Congressman Phil Roe. Good dinner and discussion. On to Knoxville this evening and Baxter tomorrow night.

Regional meetings continue

2010-09-16T16:10:00.002-05:00

Had another great meeting Tuesday night at Cleveland, Tennessee. Taking a little bit of a break to attend the Governor's Economic Development Conference in Nashville today and tomorrow. Next week I travel through Jonesborough, Knoxville and Putnam County for 3 more regional meetings. At lunch today at the conference, the keynote speaker was Michael Cohen, President of Achieve. Achieve is a national organization focused on raising the standards for k-12 education. He talked about Tennessee's efforts to raise standards and improve public education in the state. Much of what he had to say mirrored some of the discussion at our regional meetings.

Hope to see you soon at one of our meetings.

Regional Meetings Off to a Great Start

2010-09-10T09:28:00.006-05:00

We had excellent turnouts at our first two regional meetings this week in Jackson and Henry Horton State Park. Thanks to all the officials for turning out. We're averaging over 100 people per meeting so far. It's been great to see many of our returning officials as well as getting a chance to meet more of the new county commissioners and mayors. We've also been privileged to have the chairs of the Senate Education Commitee, the State and Local Government Committee and the Transportation Committees in attendance. We meet next in South East Tennessee at the Mountain View Holiday Inn in Cleveland, Tennessee, on Tuesday night the 14th. That's our only meeting next week as we'll take a brief break for the Governor's Economic Development Conference in Nashville the end of the week. Then it's off to East Tennessee the following week for Jonesborough on the 21st, Knoxville on the 22nd and Baxter (Putnam County) on the 23rd.

Federal Education Jobs Program Funds

2010-09-06T19:22:00.002-05:00

A new federal jobs program that impacts county governments was passed by Congress this summer and signed into law on August 10, 2010. It is not a part of ARRA (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act), but will have similar reporting guidelines and similar purposes. Nationwide, the program authorized $10 billion in financial assistance to states to save or create jobs, specifically targeted to help protect jobs in K-12 education.

Tennessee’s allocation was $195.8 million. The state qualifies for the money under all known federal guidelines and the Bredesen administration has applied for the funds. Once received, the funds must be available to LEAs (Local Education Agencies) for the 2010-2011 school year. The funds must only be used for obligations made on or after August 10, 2010. LEAs may use the funds through September 30, 2012 (which is the end of the 2011-2012 federal fiscal year). However, for ease of administration and reporting, the Tennessee Department of Education is recommending that LEAs expend the funds by June 30, 2012 - the end of the state’s next fiscal year. Although eligible to retain a percentage of the funds for offsetting administrative costs, the state Department of Education is not retaining any of the funding and is letting it all flow through to the LEAs.

The state had the option to distribute the funds under either Title I or the state’s primary education funding formula (the Basic Education Program or BEP). Tennessee has determined that the funds will be distributed under the BEP. The US Department of Education guidelines indicate that a Governor may not direct how an LEA uses its education jobs fund. However, the Federal guidelines do require the funds to be spent in certain areas.

Education Jobs Program funds must be used only for school-level employee compensation and benefits and other expenses, such as support services, necessary to (1) retain existing employees, (2) recall or rehire former employees, and (3) hire new employees. Examples of permissible compensation and benefits include: salaries, performance bonuses, health insurance, retirement benefits, incentives for early retirement, pension fund contributions, tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment assistance, transportation subsidies, and reimbursement for childcare expenses. Besides teachers, examples of other school level employees who may receive these funds would include principals, assistant principals, academic coaches, in-service teacher trainers, classroom aides, counselors, librarians, social workers, interpreters, physical, speech and occupational therapists, security officers, maintenance workers, nurses, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers. The money can be used to restore reductions in salaries and benefits, implement increases or bonuses, or compensate teachers for previously scheduled furlough days. The important distinction is whether the employee is a “school level” employee or an “LEA-level” or “central office” employee. The federal guidelines do not allow the funds to be used for central office administrative personnel such as staff for the superintendent’s office or the board of education. The funds also cannot be used to pay for contracted services. The federal guidelines describe the funds as being for K-12 education. At this time it is unknown whether it is permissible to use the funds for Pre-K expenses.

These funds will have to be tracked, reported and accounted for separately. These are considered federal funds, but their use does not trigger federal non-supplanting guidelines. Additionally, as federal funds, these do not impact the required local match, or state-level non-supplanting or maintenance of effort requirements for LEAs. The funds are expected to be available for draw down in 2-3 weeks. The funds could be spent entirely in this budget year or an LEA could wait to spend the funds in next budget year or use them both years. They simply cannot be spent for obligations arising before August 10, 2010, and must be spent before September 30, 2012.

Economic Development Tool Kit

2010-09-03T15:46:00.002-05:00

Need to know what incentives Tennessee offers new or expanding businesses, or what programs are available to assist Tennessee communities? Look no further than the newly updated Tennessee Tool Kit, which is now available online by clicking here.

The Tool Kit is a comprehensive guide to incentives and programs offered by the state of Tennessee through the Department of Economic and Community Development.

Power Point Presentations from COOP

2010-09-02T13:30:00.003-05:00

The general session power points as well as the presentations on education and the functions of the beer board from the county commissioners break out session at COOP are now available through the CTAS website here. If interested, you can also see the presentations from other sessions for the various county offices.

UPDATE: Additional presentations and materials now available. You'll need to scroll down that page to get to the county commissioner section.

County Officials Orientation Program

2010-08-27T11:39:00.002-05:00

This week was something of a whirlwind for me and I'm sure for many of the newly elected county officials as well. The County Officials Orientation Program was a tremendous success with hundreds of officials in attendance. For the opening session on Tuesday, the room was set for 560 and completely filled up. The hotel staff brought in 100 additional chairs and there were still people filing in and standing around in the back and at the sides of the room. There were hundreds of newly elected county commissioners in attendance. Even more impressive than the crowd was the energy and attention they brought to the meetings. The rooms stayed full throughout hours of training and speakers. Tennessee saw a lot of change in this recent election, but if the conference this week was any indication, the new officials joining public service in Tennessee bring a great deal of energy, interest and ideas to county government.

Thanks to all who made the effort to come to the conference and best wishes on your new term that starts next week.

Tennessee Eligible for Teacher Jobs Funds

2010-08-20T10:11:00.003-05:00

According to an article in the Commercial Appeal (find it on-line here#), Tennessee is eligible to receive federal funds recently approved to help protect teacher jobs. Since the state did not cut funding for teacher salaries, there was a concern Tennessee would miss out on this assistance.

This excerpt from the article indicates that the money may be used for certain other specific needs:

"Under the federal Department of Education guidance circulated to U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen's office on Thursday, even states that have not reduced their support to elementary and secondary education are eligible for the funding.

"If a state's (local education agencies) do not need funds to recall or rehire former employees, they may use the funds for activities such as paying the salaries and benefits for teachers who provide instructional services in after-school and extended learning programs," the DOE guidance suggests."

See the article linked above for more details.

Comptroller Releases Report on Missing Funds in County Government

2010-08-17T10:00:00.001-05:00

As part of a continuing effort to provide greater transparency in government, Comptroller Justin P. Wilson is making information about cash shortages reflected in the annual financial reports and special reports of Tennessee’s 95 counties available online.

The report provides information about cash shortages and other thefts reported in the annual financial reports for the year ended June 30, 2009 and certain special reports for Tennessee’s 89 county governments audited by the Comptroller’s Division of County Audit and for six counties audited by private accounting firms.

In addition to providing information about the amounts of the cash shortages in each county, the report also provides explanations about how the shortages were discovered, why they occurred, what steps have been taken to correct the problems and any judicial actions resulting from the cash shortages.

“This report serves a dual purpose,” Comptroller Wilson said. “First of all, it gives Tennesseans easy access to important financial information about their county governments, which serves the purpose of increasing transparency in government. Also, bringing this information to light may help reduce fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars in the future, which is one of the primary missions of the Comptroller’s office.”

The report can be found on-line here.

Tennessee Ranked Best in the Nation in Debt to GDP Ratio

2010-08-17T09:48:00.003-05:00

An analysis of the ratio of debt to gross domestic product for each state (and the District of Columbia) shows that Tennessee is lowest with a debt/GDP ratio of 1.95%. The next lowest state was Nevada with 3.58%.

You can find a slide show of all 51 figures at

the daily beast.

Thanks to Post Politics for the reference.

Lottery Scholarship Shortfall Not as Bad as Earlier Predictions

2010-08-17T08:49:00.002-05:00

At one point during the last session, there was a concern that lottery revenues were not keeping pace with spending for the scholarship program. In reaction to rather dire predictions, the legislature created a task force to examine the issue. It met all day yesterday. The good news is, the projections have become much more optimistic, showing manageable shortfalls in the next few years. The lottery scholarship program has a large reserve fund which appears to be able to sustain it through a slight turndown. For more information, see this article by Richard Locker of the Commercial Appeal:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/aug/16/study-paints-rosier-picture-tennessee-scholarship-/

Education Standards - Understanding How we Got to Where We Are

2010-08-13T10:14:00.003-05:00

In recent years, Tennessee has taken a number to steps to toughen up standards for K-12 education in the state. In the next couple of months, those changes will be felt as new assessments of the performance of our students and our schools are released. There is a general expectation and concern that the new higher standards will initially result in dramatically lower scores. But this hopefully is a necessary growing pain our state and our communities have to go through to get to the desired end result: a well performing and quality public educational system in Tennessee.

I recently read a good article on-line that succintly describes where we've been and how we got to this point. You can find it here on the Chattarati website.

Keynote Speaker at Governor's Economic Development Conference is President of Achieve

2010-08-13T10:12:00.002-05:00

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber today announced Michael Cohen, president of the nationally recognized education reform organization Achieve, will keynote the Commissioner’s Luncheon on September 16, 2010 during the 57th annual Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development in Nashville, Tenn.

Founded in 1996 by a coalition of business leaders and the nation’s governors, Achieve is an independent, bipartisan organization dedicated to helping states raise standards and graduation requirements, as well as improve assessment and accountability. In 2005, Achieve created the American Diploma Project, of which Tennessee is one of 35 participating states. Governor Bredesen also serves as co-chair of the Achieve Board of Directors.

“Over the past seven and a half years, we’ve made substantial investments in Tennessee to push our state to the forefront of reforming our public education system,” said Governor Bredesen. “Tennessee recognizes that higher standards and greater achievement are key to a more competitive workforce and long term growth for our economy.”

For more, see the full press release here.

Comptroller Seeks Input on Debt Management Practices

2010-08-11T11:29:00.003-05:00

To promote sound debt management practices, Comptroller Justin P. Wilson is encouraging Tennessee’s cities and counties to share what works best for them. The Comptroller is asking for comment on a draft statement on debt management. The draft is based on four guiding principles for Tennessee governmental debt issuers to consider while developing their own policies.

These principles are:

Understanding transactions;
Explaining to citizens what is being considered;
Avoiding conflicts of interest; and
Disclosing costs and risks

The draft sets forth specific language explaining these principles in greater detail. Included with the draft is a guide and checklist on best practices in debt management, which includes examples from current debt policies. And the Comptroller's staff has developed a list of recommended sources and resources for governments to reference.

Comptroller Wilson is inviting written comments and suggestions for these draft documents by Sept. 15. Comptroller Wilson plans to hold a public forum on debt management practices for Tennessee governmental debt issuers, tentatively scheduled to be held in Nashville Sept. 22. Further details on the forum will be posted on the Comptroller’s web site at a later date.

“Each local government’s debt policy should address each of the four guiding principles. Beyond that, it is not advisable or practical to try to create a ‘one-size-fits-all’ debt management policy,” Comptroller Wilson said. “Cities and counties throughout our state have different needs and different challenges relating to debt management. Once the basics are met, I believe it is best to create a general framework for sound debt management, but give governmental debt issuers the flexibility to adopt policies tailored to their specific needs. I want the Comptroller’s office to serve as a clearinghouse for the sharing of ideas about what works and what doesn’t.”

After receiving input from governments and interested parties, Comptroller Wilson will consider making recommendations to the State Funding Board regarding debt management. The State Funding Board has authority to adopt a model debt policy for Tennessee governmental debt issuers.

To view the documents prepared by the Comptroller’s office online, go here

Good News on Revenues

2010-08-10T10:32:00.003-05:00

State sales tax revenues for July jumped with the largest monthly growth in over three years. Finance and Administration Commissioner Dave Goetz today reported July’s total revenue collections were up from July of last year. The last month in which sales tax collections exceeded this month’s growth rate was April of 2007.

“We believe the growth in both sales and corporate tax collections point to an economic recovery in Tennessee; however, we will continue to be cautious, keeping our budget in balance as we move forward,” Goetz said. “Franchise and Excise tax collections showed negative growth for the month, but this can be attributed to significant one-time payments received in July of 2009.The year-to-date growth in our corporate tax collections have shown considerable improvement over last year, posting a gain of over 4 percent,” Goetz said.

Overall, July revenues were $833.6 million or $22.5 million more than the state budgeted. Although sales tax collections were $1.0 million less than the estimate for July, the July growth rate was 5.94%. For twelve months revenues are under collected by $225.7 million. The year-to-date growth rate for twelve months was negative 2.25%.

Gasoline and motor fuel tax collections for July decreased by 0.36 %. For twelve months revenues are under collected by $8.2 million.

For more, go here
and here.

For Newly Elected County Commissioners

2010-08-09T14:04:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to all those who were elected to serve on county commissions across the state last Thursday. Many are returning to continue their service to the communities. Many will be embarking on their first experience with holding elected office.

For those newly elected county commissioners, I strongly recommend you consider attending the County Officials Orientation Program in Nashville the last week of August. This event is a joint effort between the various statewide county officials organizations and the University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS). If you are not familiar with CTAS, it is a very valuable resource for county officials in Tennessee. Check out their website at http://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/. for a wealth of training manuals, statistical information and training opportunities. The County Officials Orientation Program for county mayors, county commissioners and county highway officials will be held the afternoon of August 24th and the morning of August 25th at the Nashville Airport Marriot. Registration is free for all newly elected county officials. For more details, see the registration brochure
here.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants Workshops

2010-08-09T13:28:00.002-05:00

The Department of Economic and Community Development's Energy Policy Office will host Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) Administration Workshops in August for communities who were awarded grants earlier this year.

The workshops will cover requirements related to Davis-Bacon, Buy American, historic preservation, reporting, receiving payments, waste management and procurement. Questions about the grants and expectations of the recipients will also be addressed.

Four workshops will be held across the state, as follows:

August 17, 1 - 4 p.m. CST, Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, Jackson
August 24, 1 - 4 p.m. EST, Cleveland/Bradley County Chamber of Commerce, Cleveland
August 25, 9 a.m. - Noon EST, Walters State Great Smoky Mountains Expo Center, White Pines
August 26, 1 - 4 p.m. CST, Tennessee Tower, Nashville

Registration is required for the workshops. RSVP to 615-741-2994, 800-342-1340 or ecd.energypolicy@tn.gov.

The Tennessee EECBG program awarded $13.4 million in grants to 146 communities throughout the state to implement energy efficient projects. These grants are projected to produce more than 92 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy savings annually, resulting in an estimated cost-savings of $8 million per year for Tennessee communities. In addition, approximately 149 jobs will be created by the 146 grants awarded.

For more information on the EECBG program in Tennessee, visit http://tnecd.gov/recovery/eecbg.html.

Agenda for the County Officials Orientation Program

2010-08-03T16:28:00.003-05:00

After this Thursday, there will be an entire new crop of elected county officials. One of the best things a newly elected county official can do is attend a workshop in Nashville later this month sponsored by the University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service. This training event is held from August 24th through 26th in Nashville. Different officials will attend different days. The program is set up so that an official would attend a general session one afternoon and an office specific program the next morning.

A basic agenda for the session can be found here.

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Specialists to Advise Middle TN Homeowners

2010-07-30T13:07:00.001-05:00

Homeowners rebuilding after the spring floods can receive valuable information from hazard mitigation specialists with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at hardware stores in Middle Tennessee, beginning Monday, Aug. 2.

The specialists can answer questions about protecting homes from future disaster damage, as well as offer other home improvement tips and techniques. Topics will include mold and mildew cleanup and prevention, flood insurance, flood and wind-resistant building methods, wind straps and other measures to make homes stronger and safer. Publications on these topics will also be available.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following locations:

Aug. 2 through Aug. 6

•Mitchum True Value, 17 E. Front St., Erin, TN 37061.

Aug. 2 through Aug. 7

•True Value Hardware, 810 N. Locust Ave., Lawrenceburg, TN 38464;
•Lowe’s, 10 Campbell Road, Madison, TN 37115.

There is no cost to talk with the specialists.

Gov. Bredesen Signs Executive Order to Create STEM Innovation Network

2010-07-30T10:41:00.004-05:00

On July 29th, Gov. Bredesen signed an executive order to create the STEM Innovation Network. The STEM disciplines are Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The Network is charged with promoting and expanding the teaching and learning of these four disciplines in K-12 public schools across Tennessee. The Network will be associated with the State Department of Education which is authorized by the Executive Order to enter into an agreement with Battelle to be the manager of the Network and its activities. Battelle (the Battelle Memorial Institute) is a global research and development enterprise which jointly manages the Oak Ridge National Laboratory with the University of Tennessee.

For more, see this article by Tom Humprhey of the Knoxville News Sentinel or click here for a copy of the executive order.

Early Voting by County

2010-07-29T21:33:00.003-05:00

Secretary of State Tre Hargett has posted the numbers for early voting through the 28th and projects that we may set a record.
See the rate of voting by county and by day here.

What Every County Commissioner Should Know About The Jail

2010-07-29T14:20:00.003-05:00

Jim Hart of CTAS shared a resource with me this week on jails. It is a 12 page article that highlights the things a county commissioner should know, and should ask, about the county's jail. The publication was written by Dr. Allen R. Beck who has worked as a consultant on correctional facilities since the 1970s and has a doctorate degree in Criminal Justice. The article is written from a national perspective and is not specific to Tennessee law. Nevertheless, it includes excellent common sense recommendations on what county commissioners should look for to ensure their jail is being managed in a cost efficient and proper manner.

County commissioners obviously have a different set of responsibilities from the Sheriff. The Sheriff is the individual chosen by the voters to manage the day to day operations of the jail. Commissioners should not interfere with these functions or try to micro-manage the Sheriff. However, as the author points out, the jail is one of the most expensive operations of the county and there is great potential for commissioners to be impacted by lawsuits and liability that can arise from a poorly managed jail. The article attempts to equip county commissioners with enough knowledge to be able to ask informed questions about jail operations and management to be able to evaluate current deficiencies and future needs. It can be found here.

In addition to the issues raised by this article, many counties in Tennessee have recently built new jails or additions or are in the process of evaluating the county's correctional needs. There are several more of Dr. Beck's articles available which relate to evaluating jail designs and needs. These articles can be found on the website for his Kansas City-based consulting firm called Justice Concepts Inc. at http://www.justiceconcepts.com/

Other articles include:

A Proven Jail Design that Cuts Construction Costs by One-half or More
Example of How We Rapidly Reduced a Jail Population
Jail Bloating: A Cause of Jail Overcrowding
Deciding on a New Jail Design
Two Approaches for Determing Jail Needs
Forecasting: Fiction and Utility in Jail Planning
Misleading Jail Bed Costs

US Department of Education Approves Budget for TN Race to the Top Funds

2010-07-28T13:07:00.002-05:00

(From a Press Release from Gov. Bredesen's office)

Governor Phil Bredesen announced today that Tennessee’s nearly $501 million Race to the Top budget has been approved by the U. S. Department of Education, allowing the state and all 136 school districts to move forward in implementing comprehensive school reform plans over the next four years.

Tennessee was just one of two states selected to receive funding in the federal government’s Race to the Top competition in March.

For more, go here.

Additional Federal Flood Assistance Coming to Tennessee Communities

2010-07-28T09:46:00.004-05:00

A supplemental war funding bill passed by Congress and sent to the President this week included a provision to provide more than $200 million in federal aid for Tennessee communities impacted by the 2010 flood.

See this article
from the Tennessean for more information.

According to a spokesman from the Governor's office, one of the most significant provisions of the bill would be a reduction of the required local match for FEMA projects from 25% to 10%. During its budget deliberations, the State had pledged to split the 25% match with local governments. As reported in the article linked above, the Governor's office indicates it still plans to split this reduced local match. This means that a county now will only have to provide 5% of the funding for a FEMA project with the State providing 5% and FEMA picking up 90%.

This is good news for many Tennessee local governments that were overwhelmed by the May floods and facing extraordinary costs to rebuild roads, bridges, water treatment facilities, schools and other infrastructure.

Updates to the County Uniform Chart of Accounts

2010-07-26T09:18:00.003-05:00

The Comptroller's Office has released an updated 2010 Chart of Accounts for county governments. The new version and a short summary of the changes are available from this website.

CTAS Index of Acts Available

2010-07-26T08:36:00.002-05:00

The UT County Technical Assistance Service has released its 2010 Index of Acts Affecting County Government. This publication summarizes all legislation that passed the Tennessee General Assembly in 2010 that affects county government. It even includes summaries of private acts that only apply to a single county.

You can access or download a copy of the publication here.