By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
Carter County Judge Executive Brandon Burton said he was asked by the Carter County School System to make a proclamation for the National School Lunch Hero Day. The proclamation recognizes May 1, 2026, as National School Lunch Hero Day and states that it will be recognized on May 1 every year forward.
The proclamation recognized all the dedicated school nutrition professionals at Carter County Schools that, “Play a vital role in the daily lives of our students by preparing and serving meals that meet high standards for nutrition, safety, and quality.” The fiscal court voted unanimously to approve the proclamation and recognize the impact that nutrition professionals have on the health and learning of Carter County students.
The fiscal court received a request from the Carter County Sheriff for the purchase of protective vests. The price of the vests is $4,220 for 11 sets of vests, and the court voted unanimously to purchase them. Judge Executive Burton said the vests were durable and would last several years.
The County Road Aid Agreement was also discussed by the court. The road aid, which is the amount the state allots to a county for road repairs, was down some from last year, Burton told the court. The amount for the fiscal year 2026-27 is $1,422,334.12 and will begin July 1 of this year. That amount is down by approximately $300,000 from the previous year. The court voted to accept the County Road Aid, and also voted to accept Resolution 450 for County Road Aid.
The amount paid to the county through County Road Aid – combined with Flex Spending and 80/20 Bridge matches – makes up the total amount the county has to do maintenance and repairs on all county roads. The funds are typically far less than what a county needs, especially given that the estimated cost to pave one mile of road is $100,000 – and can climb as high as $500,000 depending upon site preparation. This shortfall forces counties to aggressively pursue other funding such as grants.
The court also voted to approve FEMA DR4592 contract modifications and voted to accept all bridge bids for Black Hollow Road and Waterfall Creek Road from E and E Contracting.
The court voted to increase the salary of the Carter County Coroner to $22,500 from $7,800 starting July 1. Based upon population, the coroner could request a salary of nearly $48,000. The County Coroner deputies (of which there are two) also saw a pay increase, with their salary being raised to $10,000 total from a $6,800 total, also beginning on July 1. A motion was made by Magistrate Millard Cordle to give all county employees a five percent raise in wages beginning on July 1, and passed with a single dissenting vote.
The court approved the first reading of the 2026-27 budget which passed unanimously. All standing orders were approved by the court as were claims and add-ons as presented by treasurer. Transfers were also approved by the court.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
