Part of Highway 111 was closed down for several hours Monday, June 24 after a two-vehicle accident. A motor vehicle accident with ejection was reported around 12:30 p.m. close to Static. Debris, oil and fuel covered the roadway on both sides of the road from the impact.

According to the preliminary report, a 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser collided with a 2017 Peterbilt semi-truck. The PT Cruiser was traveling north of 111 when it lost control and started to spin. It cross the center line and struck the front end of the semi that was traveling south, then the back near the second and third axles.

The driver of the Chrysler, Scotty Brown, 39, of Byrdstown, was ejected. Passenger Cassie Brown, 37, of Byrdstown, was also ejected and both were seriously injured. A juvenile passenger (child) was also injured in the accident.

Due to weather conditions, air medical services were not able to transport the patients. All three patients were transported by ambulance to UK Hospital in Lexington, Ky. The status of their injuries were not known.

The driver of the semi, Danny Simpson, 49, of Alpine, was not injured.

Scotty Brown was charged with no due care, seat belt, child restraint and registration.

The accident was investigated by Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Tyler McCulley.

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What is the county going to do when there is no money in the general fund to operate? Come July 1, there will be no money to operate on in the general fund.

“The current budget wasn’t adequate to sustain county function. There was a shortfall on the budget estimates, both in revenue and expenditures,” said Pickett County Executive Carey Garner. “Pickett County has been working closely with the state comptrollers, and all the departments have been reporting on their finances weekly.”

According to Garner, the county has borrowed money from solid waste in previous years to operate in the general fund until the tax revenue came in. However, there is no longer enough money in the fund which was said to be the cause of the landfill closure process.

The county commission approved a tax anticipation note during last Monday’s meeting of up to $650,000, however, they failed to pass a budget.

Before a county can borrow money, the loan must be approved by the Office of State and Local Finance with the comptroller’s office. There must also be provisions in place to generate the revenue to recover the cost. Counties by law cannot default on a loan. There is nothing in place to pay this money back by the required deadline of June 30, 2020.

According to Executive Garner, the state had approved the loan with the budget that had the tax rate at $2.46. Ron Queen, Financial Analyst with the Comptroller’s office, wanted the budget approved by June 30 so the money could be borrowed by June 1. “Since that budget was rejected, I don’t know what is going to happen now.”

“Regardless, if we can get a balanced budget approved, Pickett County must still borrow money to operate.” The proposed budget that failed to pass included generating enough revenue to adequately fund the county and also help build the excess fund balance. The budget also included the anticipated $650,000 (loan) to operate. Unfortunately, the tax revenue doesn’t start generating funds until around October and currently monthly revenue isn’t enough to operate until then.

“All the departments have already made cuts in their budgets before presenting the final budget to commissioners,” said Executive Garner.

If there is no tax increase in the budget, and the loan is approved, then there must be at least $650,000 of expenditures cut throughout the various departments. “If we borrow the money without creating a way to create additional funds, it will have to be taken out of the tax revenue. That means we will be in a deficit for the next fiscal year and we will be back borrowing money,” Garner said.

A budget committee meeting has been scheduled for July 9, which comes after the county general funds are said to be gone. All the department heads and county commissioners are set to meet with the budget committee to discuss the budget, It will be up to the county commissioners at the next scheduled meeting in July to decide what will be approved.