Knox 911 passes annual budget with 2.4% increase
By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com
Knox County Emergency Communications District (Knox 911) met Wednesday morning and voted to set $19.74 million for its 2025-2026 budget, an increase of 2.4%. Director Brad Anders also added, with the board’s approval, $12,000 to increase the salary of an open position.
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs chaired the meeting and co-chair Indya Kincannon, Knoxville’s Mayor, noted that the agency has a “very healthy fund balance.” The employees will get a 4% to 6% raise, depending on position.
Jacobs called for any public comment on the budget proposal and there was none.
Anders and the board honored Darlene Tate, who started with Knox 911 in 1986 and plans to retire this year. He also reported that an increase in phone rates to support emergency calls passed the Tennessee Senate but was bogged down in the state House. He said that if passed, it would mean about $1 million coming to the local agency.
Anders also reported on the training of local EMS employees and said that that service will be taken over in July. He said that plans are underway to renovate the Baxter Avenue facility, and the operation will move to the Knoxville Public Safety Building’s 911 backup facility during the renovation.
Knox 911’s Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) is being updated over the next 16 months and will give the agency a better means of finding new roads and bridges in real time. Anders also said efforts are underway to create a local 911 website that can be used to notify the public in times of emergency. He said the current system limits the number of characters that can be used.
