NEWPORT-The Cocke County Legislative Body approved the 2009-10 fiscal year budget during its meeting Monday in the Cocke County Courthouse.

The budget leaves the tax rate at $2.48 per $100 of assessed value but provides no raises for county employees and reflects an unappropriated fund balance of just more than $27,000.

Finance Committee Chairman Clay Blazer moved to adopt the budget, which was approved in committee earlier this month.

CLB member Jimmy Lindsey, however, offered an amendment to the motion, seeking to raise the property tax rate by 10 cents.

Lindsey said he was proposing the increase because the current fund balance isn't adequate. He added he would also like to see employees get a raise. Lindsey's proposal would have increased the fund balance to $114,000, provided employees with a 3 percent raise, increased the Highway Department fund balance to $122,000 and provided two cents to the School Transportation line item.

"Let's quit operating on a shoe string," said Lindsey.

"The average home in Cocke County is valued at $94,000. With a 10-cent increase, that would only be $23 more per year. My place is worth $166,000 and with the new tax rate it will cost me just $40 per year."

CLB member Phil Killion offered a second to the amendment.

On a vote, however, the amendment failed by a 9-5 margin, with only Blazer, Killion, Lindsey, Andrew Fowler and Scott McClure voting in favor of the measure. Love Henderson, Calvin Ball, Lonnie Ottinger, Norman Smith, Tom Sutton, Bill Williamson, Bill Costner, David Taylor and Henry "Skip" Gregory voted against the amendment.

The original motion on the budget then passed by a 10-4 vote.

Voting in favor were Henderson, Ball, Blazer, Smith, Sutton, McClure, Williamson, Taylor, Gregory and Costner.

Voting in opposition were Ottinger, Fowler, Killion and Lindsey.

The tax rate was approved at $2.48, with only Lindsey and Killion voting in opposition.

 In concluding the discussion, Cocke County Mayor Iliff McMahan Jr. and Smith praised the Finance Committee and Finance Director Anne Williams and her staff for their efforts on creating the budget.