Tom Dugan

When it comes to paying for fuel at the pump, Hamilton County agencies are as strapped for cash as other motorists, based on last week’s budget hearings.

“That’s something we’re going to see in any vehicle operation we have,” County Commissioner John Allen Brooks said.

Most agencies that included fuel costs in their 2009 budgets asked for at least a 25 percent increase with some requesting even more.

The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, jointly funded by Hamilton County and the city of Chattanooga, was seeking a 50 percent increase in fuel funds — from about $1.1 million to nearly $1.66 million. Tom Dugan, CARTA’s executive director, said for each penny that fuel costs increase, costs for the transportation authority rise $5,000 .

In the last year, regular gasoline has gone from $3.04 per gallon to $3.67 and diesel fuel has increased from $2.91 a gallon to $4.27, according to the American Automobile Association’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

Those increases aren’t just hitting transit. Hamilton County Assessor Bill Bennett asked for about $18,500 more for gas, a 63 percent increase. Mr. Bennett said the increase is partially due to the fact that next year is a reappraisal year and his employees will be traveling around the county more to look at property. But the extra cost of gas isn’t helping. His office requested a total of $48,000 in gas money.

“We hope it’ll be enough,” Mr. Bennett said.

The Hamilton County Sheriff Department’s request for fuel for its patrol division went up from $420,000 to $525,000. Don Gorman, director of administration for the sheriff’s department, said patrol has not used up its fuel funds for this year, but officials were warned to plan for a 25 percent increase in gas costs.

Even the relatively modest funding increase requested for the Tennessee Riverpark — a $635 net increase from the county — was “strictly due to the cost of fuel,” said Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Director Ron Priddy.

Anticipating the cost of regular gas heading toward $4 per gallon, county commissioners have discussed the possibility of buying hybrid vehicles. The topic of alternatives to gas and diesel came up again in the budget hearings.

Commissioner Larry Henry asked Mr. Dugan if CARTA was considering using so-called flex-fuel vehicles, which use a blend of gasoline and ethanol or other biofuels. CARTA at one time used biodiesel for about six buses, but the cost of that fuel is higher than regular diesel, Mr. Dugan said.

One possibility, he said, is using hybrid buses that use fuel and electricity, but one of those buses costs about twice as much as one that runs on diesel fuel. He said only large cities such as Chicago and New York are using those types of buses.

“We’re kind of sitting back and watching to see how they really work,” Mr. Dugan said.

Another common thread among budget requests was the increasing cost of postage.

Clerk and Master Lee Akers’ office, which sends out notices of delinquent property taxes, was seeking $3,240 more for postage, while County Clerk Bill Knowles’ office and Trustee Carl Levi also asked for increases.

The cost of a first-class stamp went up one cent to 42 cents today.

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