The Knox County Commission has given the green light to Mayor Glenn Jacobs' hefty $1.1 billion budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. As reported by WATE, the budget, which the commission approved unanimously with minor amendments on May 20, features substantial investment in infrastructure and a commitment to enhancing the county's educational landscape without hiking taxes.

The new budget, which previously allocated $87 million for Engineering and Public Works, positions Knox County to continue with significant infrastructure improvements as part of the Advance Knox development plan. Despite no tax increases, the budget accommodates a salary increment for county employees. As reported by WVLT, there will also be funding enhancements for the local Sheriff’s Office, covering the cost of new software, additional body-worn cameras, vehicles, and training equipment.

Nearly $684 million is earmarked for the Knox County Schools according to WATE, marking a 3.5 percent increase from the previous year. This investment will raise salaries, improve teacher benefits packages, and supply more safety resources for each campus. In contrast, despite a heartfelt plea from Sheriff Tom Spangler and the widow of a fallen deputy for better pay for law enforcement, the fiscal plan did not include further increases for the deputies, as highlighted by Knox News.

Spangler stressed the urgency for competitive wages, revealing to Knox News, "What we did last year was huge. But what we did was just catch up, and we can't continue just to catch up." The Sheriff's argument fell on deaf ears, as it came just before the unanimous commission vote in favor of the budget. Interestingly, this budget, viewed as "flat" by county officials, will not increase property taxes when money is tight due to inflation.

In his State of the County speech, Mayor Jacobs touted the virtues of the Advance Knox initiative, a strategic long-term plan to handle the county's expected growth. The budget also sets aside nearly $15 million exclusively for road improvements and allocates almost $80 million for a new elementary school in Farragut. Further improvements will come to the Mechanicsville/Lonsdale and South Knoxville school areas.