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The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is set to publicize its latest proposal during a public hearing on Aug. 3. This won’t be the first time that TDOT brought to county officials and the public its take on widening the congested intersection at Hwy. 25E and Cedar Fork Road. The agency reportedly gleaned much from its last public hearing to revamp the new plans to better-suit the immediate target zone.

The intersection is especially busy during peak rush hour traffic as drivers take to the road heading to and from their workdays. Add to that the almost steady stream of semi trucks maneuvering a tight right turn onto Cedar Fork Road heading for the Industrial Park and other commercial businesses.

The public hearing will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. inside the large courtroom of the Claiborne County Courthouse. Those wishing to make an oral or written statement during the hearing will have access to a court reporter or may use the provided comment sheets. The information will be included in the project transcript.
In another matter, the county has reportedly invited a representative from the Tennessee Office of the Comptroller to a special meeting on Aug. 7. The meeting was called to address ongoing concerns about the state of the county’s new fiscal year budget. The county has until the end of August to submit the new budget or find itself in hot water.

The most recent Claiborne Commission meeting netted very little in the way of resolving budgetary issues. The only budget-related resolution adopted had to do with allowing funds previously used for school resource officers to be transferred back into the school system coffers. This was prompted by the influx of state funding this year going to the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office to support SROs in the schools.

This resolution has reportedly been vetoed by the county mayor.

The county has not yet cemented the new property tax rate, which is historically one of the prime issues related to passing the county budget.

The Aug. 7 special meeting will begin at 5 p.m. inside the large courtroom of the Claiborne County Courthouse. By statute, the public is allowed to attend.