2017-2018 Gibson County budget approved

June 26, 2017

GIBSON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Gibson County budget for the 2017-2018 fiscal year has been approved. The budget is over $100,000 less than last year. Part of that is due to projects that were finished and grants that were paid last year.

“The expenditures are actually a little bit lower, about $105,000 lower than last year’s,” Gibson County Mayor Tom Witherspoon said.

The biggest debated topic was if they should take tax revenue and then decide to donate it to a nonprofit. The county mayor agreed with those against it but also sees the good in it.

“I do think it’s important as a county that we show a charitable heart,” Witherspoon said. “It’s a very small amount of money when you’re looking at the grand scheme of things.”

There was no property tax increase or pay raise for the officials in next year’s budget. They expect to see a $300,000 increase in revenue in the next fiscal year. One of the main contributors to that increase is a soon to be full jail pod where they say they will get $39 a day per prisoner.

“They asked me if we could take on an additional 20 or 22 state inmates for the revenue, and we agreed to do it,” Gibson County Sheriff Paul Thomas said. “It’s important for people to know there’s no tax increase involved.”