Space in the courthouse is in short supply and the strain is starting to show in the Election Commission office. Already cramped, two more desks were moved into that office last Friday as workers squeezed past one another to serve customers at the window.

The county mayor's office and the county commission have recognized the need for more space and have requested over $340,000 in the 2007-2008 special purpose budget to address the space limitations the Election Commission faces.

The $340,000 would fund building new office space for the Election Commission. The new office is planned to be adjoined to the current voting machine warehouse at 1145 Dolly Parton Parkway.

The budget committee is still considering the request and is not expected to vote on the funds until late June or early July. According to the mayor's office, the county is facing an approximate $10 million budget shortfall this year. This could affect the funding for the Election Commission. Nearly $7 million of the shortfall is due to the change in education funding from the state.

Ronee Flynn, the interim Administrator, is supportive of the move. "We are anticipating getting the funding for the new addition and renovation", Flynn to the Seymour Herald. Flynn went on to say, "We are excited about the space we are going to have available to serve the voters of Sevier County."

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