During its meeting on November 25, the Lawrence County Commission made a significant decision to raise the General Sessions court fee by $10. This adjustment is anticipated to yield approximately $30,000 each year, which will be allocated to support the salary of the General Sessions judge. It is important to note that this fee increase will only affect individuals who are convicted of crimes within the General Sessions Court.
The recommendation for this fee adjustment came from Donna Barrett of the Barrett Group, who has been collaborating with the county to pinpoint additional sources of recurring revenue. So far, Barrett has successfully identified around $218,000 in potential revenue, which is roughly equivalent to a two-cent increase in the property tax rate.
In addition to the fee increase, the commissioners confirmed three appointments to the county’s E-911 board. Lawrenceburg Police Chief Terry Beecham was reappointed, while Emergency Management Director Shelton Barnett and banker Ben Gobble were welcomed as new members. They will join existing board members Teresa Purcell, Jay Moore, Tyler McDow, Brad Nielsen, Stephen Ellis, and John Myers, completing the nine-member board.
In other matters, the commission approved a contribution of $12,000 to assist four households in connecting to the North Brace water line provided by the Summertown Utility District. Previously, the county had committed to providing $3,000 for each household that connects to rural water systems.
Furthermore, the Commission took action to write off $211,804 in solid waste fees from 2019, which state accounting guidelines classify as uncollectible after a six-year period. This amount represents unpaid fees from 3,874 residential accounts, along with about 1.2 percent from commercial users. County officials highlighted that the rates for solid waste collection have seen improvement, rising from 73% to 80% in recent years, and they expect continued progress as collection policies are further enhanced.