Knox County budget plan includes pay and equipment upgrades for Knox County Sheriff's Office
Knox County property taxes will stay the same in fiscal year 2026, pushing Mayor Glenn Jacobs closer to finishing eight years in office without a tax hike.
Jacobs at his May 5 budget address announced plans for extra pay and equipment upgrades for the sheriff's office, and cited the Knox County Schools budget amount as requested by the superintendent.
'These are funds that pay for our teachers, our custodians, school security officers, and other essential staff who show up every day to serve nearly 60,000 students,' Jacobs said of the schools portion of budget.
The proposed county budget is around $1.1 billion, roughly 3% higher than this year's budget, according to a press release from the county. Nearly two thirds of the spending is for KCS.
County employees, including officers in the Knox County Sheriff's Office, would receive scheduled cost of living raises plus an additional 1% raise under the proposal, totaling 2% salary increases this year.
'I wish I could match what we have been able to do these past five years but, unfortunately, our finances are tight,' Jacobs said. 'Just like the private sector, and all of us here today, local governments are subject to inflation. So, putting together a fiscally responsible budget is harder than ever.'
The budget includes $5 million in increased funding for the Knox County Sheriff's Office to pay for overtime, funding for officers' pensions, raises, increased contract costs, new body cameras, new tasers and new vehicles.
'It is tough to be in law enforcement,' Jacobs said. 'I think I speak for everyone here when I say how grateful we are to our deputies, how much we appreciate them and will always support them.'
Other Knox County budget highlights include:
Money for KCS building projects in Farragut and South Knoxville
Money for the final phase of the Schaad Road extension, linking Oak Ridge Highway to Pleasant Ridge Road
Money for improvements to Canton Hollow Road and the Marietta Church roundabout
The Knox County Commission must vote on the budget by June 30.
Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County budget plan includes pay and equipment upgrades for KCSO
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