January 24, 2013 Wayne NeSmith Appointed To County Commission Seat Vacated by State Rep. Tilman Goins

The Hamblen County Commission appointed Wayne NeSmith to the District 4 Commission seat earlier this afternoon.

The vote was 10 votes for NeSmith and 2 votes for Darrell Williams, a member of the Downtown Merchants Association. Williams previously ran for an at-large City Council seat in 2011. [Paul LeBel won that council seat by about 24 votes over Charles Cook with Williams and Luke Pack coming in a distant third and fourth respectfully.]

NeSmith replaces Tilman Goins who was elected to the county commission in 2010 and resigned in December 2012 after his November 6 election to the State House of Representatives. Goins defeated former State Rep. Don Miller in a stunning victory in the 2012 Republican primary. Goins was officially elected State Representative in the November General Election without Democrat opposition. Click here.

NeSmith has lived in Morristown/Hamblen County almost all his life and was a strong Goins supporter in the State House of Representatives race. NeSmith will fill out the remainder of Goins' term which expires in August 2014.  All commission seats will be up for election in 2014.

Voting for NeSmith were Larry Baker, Larry Carter, Tim Dennison, Rick Eldredge, Stancil Ford, Tim Goins, Herbert Harville, Nancy Phillips, Howard Shipley, and Dana Wampler.

Voting for Williams were Doe Jarvis and Doyle Fullington.

Not present was Paul LeBel.

September 21, 2012 Donation of $125,000 in Public Funds to MHHS Foundation Fails in Hamblen County Commission

On September 10, the Hamblen County Budget Committee voted 8-4 to recommend that the full commission give $125,000 of public funds to the MHHS Foundation for use in a building project and reserve all remaining funds in the former Hamblen County endowment fund for future jail capital projects. Click here.  [Paul LeBel and Herbert Harville were not present at the Budget Committee.]

When that recommendation went to the full commission yesterday, it failed to get the 2/3 majority vote (10 YES) that was required for approval. 

Yesterday's vote was 8 YES and 6 NO, two short of the ten required for approval under the special act.

Doe Jarvis voted for the recommendation in Committee but voted NO yesterday. He was joined with a NO vote from his very good friend Paul LeBel.

Although it's hard to resist pressure from powerful people who come to commission asking for public money for their projects, it appears that there is---at least for now---a significant group of commissioners who feel that public money should go for county government projects first and foremost.

Helen Ross McNabb Center Foundation and MHHS Foundation have raised huge amounts of money already, plans are drawn, and both will more than likely proceed with their planned construction with or without a donation of public money from the Hamblen County Commission. 

But they go to public bodies (MUC and County Commission), ask for a public donation, and are often able to get support from commissioners who have no trouble in spending other people's money even while major county needs for roads and jails are present.

The eight YES votes were Stancil Ford, Larry Baker, Howard Shipley, Nancy Phillips, Dana Wampler, Rick Eldridge, Tilman Goins, and Herbert Harville.

The six NO votes Doyle Fullington, Larry Carter, Tim Dennison, Tim Goins, Paul LeBel, and Doe Jarvis.

That Hamblen County endowment money is burning a hole in commissioner's pockets. If it is not clearly set aside for county government capital projects soon, foundations and other non-profits will continue to come and ask for 14 people to take public dollars and donate them for foundation and non-profit capital projects.

September 17, 2012 Hamblen Budget Committee Votes to Send $125,000 Donation to MHHS Foundation to Full Commission

Stancil Ford made the motion to give $125,000 to the MHHS Hospital Foundation for a building project to add beds in a cancer wing.  Doe Jarvis seconded the motion. [MHHS was sold to Covenant Health several years ago.]

Tilman Goins who opposed the earlier donation of $100,000 to Helen Ross McNabb for its building project agreed to support the MHHS Foundation donation if Ford would amend his motion to include earmarking all remaining Hamblen County endowment funds for the jail. Ford agreed to the amendment.

Doe Jarvis took exception to the use of the word "conservative" by Commissioner Goins. Jarvis commented that this was a lot of "horse whatever" and added "I frankly don't believe you know what you are talking about...."

The vote was 8 YES and 4 NO with Commissioners Paul LeBel and Herbert Harville absent.

Voting for the donation and earmarking all remaining funds for the jail were Stancil Ford, Larry Baker, Doe Jarvis, Tilman Goins, Howard Shipley, Nancy Phillips, Rick Eldridge, and Dana Wampler.

Voting NO were Tim Goins, Tim Dennison, Larry Carter, and Doyle Fullington.

It appeared that the four NO votes were based on the belief that all Hamblen County endowment  public money should be reserved entirely for county government capital needs. 

Fullington had stated earlier in the meeting that he would be voting against the donation of money to both the non-profit Helen Ross McNabb Foundation and the non-profit MHHS Foundation.

Fullington had also pointed out what everyone knew---the hospital and/or the hospital foundation could and would build the new wing with or without the county's donation. Click here for the earlier McNabb vote and discussion.

Dennison and Carter had also voted earlier in the meeting against donating public money to the Helen Ross McNabb Foundation. Tim Goins had abstained from the McNabb vote due to a conflict of interest.

Those who voted against the donation to McNabb but then voted for the donation to MHHS Foundation were Tilman Goins, Rick Eldridge, and Nancy Phillips.

September 16, 2012 Hamblen Budget Committee Votes Against Donating $100,000 to Helen Ross McNabb Building

On September 10, the Hamblen County Budget Committee--which is composed of all 14 commissioners---voted against recommending that the full commission donate $100,000 of public money to the Helen Ross McNabb Foundation to use in a McNabb construction project.

The vote was 5 YES, 6 NO, and 1 ABSTENTION.  [Commissioners Paul LeBel and Herbert Harville were not present. Commissioner Tim Goins abstained]

The vote came after spirited discussion about the very nature of non-profits and donating public money to non-profits.

Commissioner Doyle Fullington commented that he wanted to hold on to the money for county needs--particularly with the economy in the shape it is. He said he would be voting against the donation of $100,000 to the Helen Ross McNabb Foundation for a McNabb building project and the donation of $125,000 to the MH Hospital Foundation for a Foundation building project.

Commissioner Tim Dennison reminded everyone that the county already has specific needs on its plate with a decertified jail and road maintenance and repairs. He wanted everyone to look at using this money wisely.

Commissioner Doe Jarvis led the push to donate public money to the McNabb Center for a McNabb construction project. He thinks there are "answers" for the jail.

Commissioner Fullington made it clear that it was never his intention that money from the Hamblen County endowment would be donated to non-profits. In referring to the request for $125,000 from the Morristown-Hamblen Hospital Foundation, Fullington noted that the hospital directors sold MHHS hospital to Covenant precisely because of Covenant's ability to fund improvements and operate the hospital.  He added that the term non-profit can be misleading since non-profits may make a profit--they just don't give it to shareholders. 

Voting against donating public money to McNabb for the McNabb building project were Doyle Fullington, Tilman Goins, Tim Dennison, Larry Carter, Rick Eldridge, and Nancy Phillips.

Voting to donate public money to McNabb for the McNabb building project were Doe Jarvis, Stancil Ford, Larry Baker, Howard Shipley, and Dana Wampler.

[Previously, Helen Ross McNabb obtained a donation of up to $51,000 of "round-up" funds from the Morristown Utilities Commission for the proposed McNabb building project. Click here for video of the MUC vote, and click here for video of the initial McNabb request for $148,000 from MUC.]

September 5, 2009 County Commission Stops Unauthorized Car Allowances in Order to (Finally) Comply with State Law

At its August 20 meeting of the full commission, the Hamblen County Commission voted 12-1 to stop three of the four car allowances that have been paid for several years in violation of state law. [Commissioner Tommy Massey was absent.]

This was a total reversal of what the Finance Committee had recommended on August 10. See my post on the August 10 Finance Committee meeting here.

At the August 10 Finance Committee meeting, I had asked the committee to stop payment of unauthorized car allowances. The Committee refused to stop these unauthorized payments and, instead, voted to study the issue again in September. The payments were going to continue despite state law that does not allow Hamblen County to pay car allowances, despite an April 2009 state attorney general's opinion on county car allowances, and despite the county attorney's May 2009 opinion (which was just a review of the state attorney general's opinion noting that Hamblen County is not among those counties authorized to provide car allowances).

After years of paying unauthorized car allowances and with the prospect of these payments continuing for still more months, I spoke to the full commission during the public comments forum on August 20 and, as I had done on August 10, I again asked that these unauthorized car allowances stop now and that Hamblen County come into compliance with state law now. Why continue to violate state law and pay out thousands of taxpayer dollars on unauthorized car allowances?

Despite state law and my request that the commission comply with state law immediately, Finance Chairman Joe Spoone made a motion to postpone any decision and to "study" the car allowance situation in September. Thankfully, one commissioner was listening and had the courage to question what was going on and to stand up for the taxpayers.

Commissioner Dana Wampler noted that Hamblen County is out of compliance---as I had stated---and Wampler then amended Spoone's resolution to stop three of the car allowances now (Ely, Hopkins, Young) and to pay mileage to those individuals if they use their car on county business. The situation is still set for review in September, but unauthorized car allowances will stop.

During discussion of the amendment, Wampler turned to county attorney Rusty Cantwell and asked about the unauthorized car allowances and when the county should come into compliance. Rusty said that there are three car allowances (the fourth car allowance is that of the County Mayor but Rusty doesn't think that the Mayor's $600/month car allowance is really a car allowance). As far as when the county should come into compliance with state law, Rusty said that was "up to you (the commission)." That response from the county attorney was a bit of a surprise.

Thankfully, Commissioner Wampler stuck to his guns and decided that the county should come into compliance with state law right away. The motion to stop unauthorized car allowances passed 12-1. Guy Collins voted no. I'm not sure if Collins' "no" vote meant that he wanted to keep paying unauthorized car allowances or if he just didn't understand what was going on. Tommy Massey was absent.

I appreciate Commissioner Wampler for doing the right thing. I'm guessing that he took some flak for that after the meeting. Stancil Ford doesn't really like for the public to have any input. He doesn't like a lot of discussion by commissioners at the full commission meetings, and he doesn't like to have changes from the original script.

When you watch the tape of the meeting, Ford turns to County Mayor David Purkey and to County Attorney Rusty Cantwell. Ford is not really happy with the question and comments and amendment by Commissioner Wampler, but in the end he can't stop the amendment and he himself votes for the amendment. Why? Because the amendment brings Hamblen County into compliance with state law and saves taxpayer money, too. How could you oppose that?

The real question is, why did it take four months to get a vote on coming into compliance with state law on the floor at a county commission meeting? Many thanks to Commissioner Wampler for doing "the right thing." Commissioner Wampler showed that one commissioner can make a difference when he or she just does "the right thing" and puts it out for a vote.

Joe Powell tapes the meetings for the county and they are shown on Charter Ch 7 (goverment/education channel) at 9:00 PM on Tuesday? and Saturday nights. [I watch on Saturdays, and I think Tuesday is the other day that the tape is shown.] You can call the county mayor's office (586-1931) to find out what other day the tape is aired.

March 10, 2009 County Commission Rejects Land Purchase for a New East High

The meeting was at the Health Department on Main Street. There was no set time--the notice just said that the Education Committee would meet "after" the called county commission meeting was over.

It started as a discussion about a 1.4 Million dollar land purchase for a new East High School.

It ended with 10 commissioners voting "no" and 3 commissioners voting "yes."

After the Education Committee vote was taken yesterday, the school board, Dr. Lynch, and Central Office administrators scooped up the powerpoint presentation and left the building.

Commissioner Joe Swann, chairman of the Education Committee, said to Director of Schools Dale Lynch, "You just heard the door slam on your building program."

Joe Swann, Tommy Massey, and Ricky Bruce voted "yes."

Voting "no" were Stancil Ford, Larry Baker, Guy Collins, Herbert Harville, Reece Sexton, Joe Spoone, Doyle Fullington, Paul Lebel, Dennis Alvis, and Dana Wampler. Commissioner Nancy Phillips was absent.

There were discussions about the price of the land, access roads, site preparation costs, increased traffic, safety concerns, renovations vs. new construction, and practice fields for sports.

Joe Spoone said he wanted to see the funding plan for the entire project before any property is purchased.

Well, when you look at the true costs for the entire project, you will see that the $80 Million estimate is just a fraction of the total taxpayer costs.

There is not $80 Million sitting around waiting to be spent on another school building program. The $80 Million has to be borrowed, and that means there are interest costs on top of the actual building costs.

Over a 20-year payout period, an $80 Million dollar building program would cost county taxpayers another $61 Million in interest for a total cost of $141 Million TAX Dollars (principal + interest).

Over a 25-year payout period, that same $80 Million dollar building program would cost county taxpayers another $80 Million in interest for a total cost of $160 Million TAX dollars (principal + interest). [These costs are from a county cost estimate]

Those are sobering figures that should make anyone pause ---but especially so in these uncertain and difficult economic times in Hamblen County and across the nation.

Another sobering figure is the debt still owed by the county (taxpayers) on the previous (1998) $35 Million dollar school building program and $5 Million capital improvement program. The re-payment schedule for that $40 Million debt was set up as interest only payments for the first 8 years or so, meaning that after making "minimum payments" for 8 years or so, the county still owed the same $40 Million that it had borrowed at the start.