Schoonmaker visits 5th District Democrats
Fifth District GOP Commissioner brings Knox County government ‘fun facts,’ fiscal year 2018 info
For all the bitter politics of Left versus Right, Republican versus Democrat and Red State versus Blue State, leave it to some “fun facts” about Knox County government to break the ice.
John Schoonmaker, Knox County Commission Fifth District representative [including Farragut and Concord] and a Republican, was warmly welcomed by Fifth District Democrats during its monthly third Thursday evening meeting, May 18, in Rosarito’s Mexican Cantina off Lovell Road.
As featured speaker, Schoonmaker promised to share “some fun facts” while speaking both in specifics about the county’s fiscal year 2018 budget, which was passed last week totalling $798 million, and generally about how the county’s budget process works.
About 62 percent of the budget, $471 million, was allocated to Knox County Schools.
“Anybody have an idea how much the payroll is for school system every month, including Superintendent [Robert M. Thomas’ salary]?” Schoonmaker asked.
With no guesses, “$33 million a month,” Schoonmaker said.
“The other interesting thing is we spend a lot of money on our debt. ... Not counting interest it’s about $660 million,” Schoonmaker added.
“If you add the interest we’re going to pay on these bonds you’re looking at right at a billion dollars.”
Moreover, “The sad part is we’re spending $75 million a year just to service the debt,” Schoonmaker said. “If that $75 million was going to the schools, you can imagine: every kid would have an iPad.”
Knox County Sheriff’s Office budget for FY 2018, Schoonmaker announced, is $84 million. “By comparison, the new budget for the City of Knoxville Police Department is about $60 million, but they don’t have to pay for a jail and they don’t have to pay for a medical examiner.”
Schoonmaker said the KCSO budget “seems like a lot of money, but it is very, very efficient for having over 1,000 employees.”
Total value of all property in Knox County? “We’re sitting on $34 billion worth of real estate here in Knox County,” he said.
The county’s collected property tax, at a rate of $2.32, “goes for three services in the county,” the commissioner said.
When only one audience member ventured a guess, which was incorrect, “97 cents goes to the General Fund, 88 cents goes to the schools and 47 cents for our debt,” Schoonmaker said.
Breaking down the percentages of how the county’s budget dollars are allocated beyond KCS, “public safety’s about 11 [percent], the Health Department is right at about 9 percent; the libraries and Engineering and Public Works get 2 percent ... general administration and Finance Department 2 percent ...,” he said.
When Knox County drivers ante up $60 annually for vehicle fees — license plate, registration, Wheel Tax — “$24 is what the state requires, $36 is the Wheel Tax. A majority of the Wheel Tax [$28.66] goes to — you won’t guess this one: the libraries.”
