On June 9, Union County Commission voted to approve the FY26 budget with no tax increase. Several discussions centered around nonprofit contributions. But after much back and forth, the commission approved a cap on nonprofit contributions. The approval of the balanced budget was approved by a slim majority.

Commissioners also formally hired Spirit Architects to plan and oversee the building of the jail. The commission approved reappointments to the Union County Library Board. All budget amendments, mainly to clean up the current FY 25 budget, were also approved.

Cheryl Walker, budget committee chairperson, explained the actions of the budget committee meetings at the May Union County Commission meeting. The budget committee had taken several votes on several parts of the budget: Development (Planning Commission), County Clerk, Sheriff, Special Patrols, Jail (current facility), Fire Protection, Rescue Squad, Libraries, EMS, Debt Service and General Capital Projects; the budget committee did recommend several cuts to the General Fund 101 Budget, but after several tie votes was bringing no recommendations for the other parts.

The called Union County Budget committee meeting on June 7 yielded a balanced budget to recommend to the Union County Commission on June 14.
Commissioner Larry Lay chairs the committee with Jody Smith, Kenny Hill, Earl Cox, Janet Holloway, Dawn Flatford and Becky Munsey as members.
Mayor Jason Bailey informed the committee that after the May Union County Commission meeting, he received notice that all elected officials were to receive a two percent raise. This increase pushed the shortfall to a little over $359,000 instead of the approximately $330,000 gap at the end of May.

Fourteen of 16 county commissioners attended the called Union County Commission meeting on June 14 to approve a budget for FY 22.
Following the lead of the Budget Committee, Commissioner Jody Smith offered a motion to accept the FY22 Budget as recommended by the Budget Committee, and Larry Lay provided a second.
Several commissioners commented on various aspects of the budget. Debra Keck, Janet Holloway, Earl Cox, Bill Cox, Sidney Jessee Jr. and Kenny Hill voiced concerns about cutting the funding for the Union County Historical Society as well as some fire protection.

County Mayor Jason Bailey has prided himself on promoting transparency in government. His background in education probably directed his schooling of the county commission at the regular May meeting.

The Tennessee Department of Education Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund 3.0 (ESSER) money (which comes from federal emergency funds to combat the negative effects from the pandemic) may help Union County jump start its new middle school planning

Mayor Jason Bailey presented the FY 22 County Budget for all departments to the Budget & Finance Committee of Union County Commission on April 20.
The current proposal is out of balance by some $331,000.

With five members present and in the absence of Chairman Larry Lay, Vice Chairman Dawn Flatford presided by phone at the Budget and Finance Committee of the Union County Commission meeting in January.

At the November 2020 Budget & Finance Meeting, Chairman Larry Lay and the other members of the Union County Budget and Finance Committee along with Mayor Jason Bailey noted that all Union County Government Commission and Committee meetings scheduled for December are being postponed to January due to concerns over the pandemic and no urgent business to conduct.

Dr. Jimmy Carter, Director of Schools, remarked that his staff was preparing a rubric (rules for evaluation) for teacher incentive pay.
He further explained that the plan would not be ready for the Union County Board of Education September meeting and would need to be placed on the October agenda.