Sullivan commission ponders funding Second Harvest Food Bank

BLOUNTVILLE — Sullivan County Commissioners Thursday evening discussed a request for $50,000 to help about 1,400 county students identified as having food insecurity and spending $100,000 in hotel-motel tax revenues to maintain historic county-owned buildings in the county seat. And to boot, the group snuck in a little discussion of a potential property tax rate increase. After voting 20-0 in the zoning meeting with four absent to approve a non-controversial resolution vote to approve rezoning property in the Piney Flats community along U.S. Highway 11E to allow storage of contractor equipment, the group went through nine resolutions to be on the agenda of next week's July 16 meeting but concentrated mostly on three proposals. OCCUPANCY TAX DISCUSSIONS Commissioner Joyce Crosswhite of Blountville asked that her resolution to spend up to $100,000 in the occupancy tax revenues to fund repairs to historic buildings including the Old Deery Inn and Anderson Townhouse, which she said are part of the largest collection of pre-Civil War buildings in any downtown in the state. It also would include the historic Sullivan County Courthouse where the commission meets monthly. "We can use this money for buildings per the Comptroller's office," Crosswhite said. She said the renovated buildings would continue to be open to the public via a county archives employee, volunteers and the Sulivan County Historial Association. Commissioner Jessica Means of Kingsport asked if such funding also could go to other historic structures across the county, such as the Exchange Place in her district in Kingsport, and Crosswhite said that could be done. Crosswhite said much of the work in downtown Blountville would have to be done by skilled tradesmen via public bid. She requested the resolution be put on first reading at the regular voting meeting next week, which would mean a vote of at least 13 of the 24 commissioners would be required to approve it at the regular August meeting. Later in the agenda, Commissioner Zane Vanover of Kingsport presented his resolution to appropriate $123,065.88 of the same occupancy tax, about half the amount collected during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025-26 to be appropriated to the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association. The appropriation, as required by agreement, must go to that purpose, and he requested a waiver of the rules that would require a 16-vote majority next week. FOOD INSECURITY The group also heard a presentation from Rhonda Chafin, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee, about Commissioner Cheryl Harvey of the Bristol area's resolution to give $50,000 to help with that group's backpack program for grades K-12 students in Sullivan County. She said about 1,400 students identified by teachers as food insecure benefit from the program by getting food to be used on weekends. "I know that we were not put in the budget, and it is unfortunate," Chafin said, adding that neighboring Greene County donates to the program. The commission ended all not-for-profit contributions except for volunteer fire departments and rescue squads as a budgetary decision a few years ago. Chafin said increases in food costs are hitting both food insecure families and the food bank hard. Harvey said that "feeding the hungry is a core commandment" in the Bible. Commissioner Larry Crawford of the Kingsport area lauded the program, saying it would have helped him growing up. All told, she said that the $168,000-per-year backpack program serves the 1,400 students in Sullivan County and that Kingsport used a $10,000 community block grant to help with it. "We need to take care of children. I hope everybody will support that," Crosswhite said. Commissioner Herschel Glover of Bluff City said he personally helps out families struggling with food problems by spending more than $9,000 each Christmas season he takes from his commission pay. Chafin said that was laudable but that hungry people need help with food year round. PROPERTY TAX Glover said increasing the countywide property tax rate by 3, 4 or 5 cents, which the Budget Committee is to discuss next Wednesday, will hurt people already struggling with food. Commissioner Darlene Calton of Sullivan Gardens said she worked in schools for 39 years and saw food insecurity first hand, adding that she has volunteed with Second Harvest since 2018. Commissioner Mark Ireson of Colonial Heights said the church where he is a member in Blountville began distributing food about a year ago and that many among the 200 people served carpool four to a vehicle to come pick it up because of the price of gasoline. He said they are working but struggle to afford food. He said he knows of six homes in the Blountville area without water because residents can't afford the water bill. He said he believes the commission can approve a 2026-27 budget without a property tax increase. "We'll try," Ireson said. The regular commisssion meeting is set for 6 p.m. July 16 at the historic Sullivan County Courthouse in downtown Blountville and is to include the first of two readings but no vote on the county budget and property tax rate. A called meeting for a vote is set for July 31, a day short of a month from when the new budget year started July 1.