Unpaid Princess bill a hot potato in Marion County

By Ryan Lewis

Correspondent

SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. -- Some organization in Marion County is going to pay a nearly $18,000 cost overrun on South Pittsburg's Princess Theatre restoration project.

However, none of the parties involved seems prepared to write the check.

Originally, the South Pittsburg Historical Society asked the county to write a grant totaling $352,000 to renovate the historic theater, which had fallen into disrepair over the past 30 years.

"Those folks did a great job (raising the money)," County Mayor Howell Moss said. "They came up with well over $300,000, which I thought was just amazing, and Marion County signed the grant."

Mr. Moss said decisions were made, apparently without county approval, that caused a $35,000 cost overrun. The historical society paid about $17,000, but just under $18,000 remains on the bill.

South Pittsburg recently took over the project from the historical society and requested the county pay the balance.

And county commissioners also found out at their meeting last week that their agreement with the contractor, Leatherwood, makes the county liable for the bill.

Commissioners tabled the issue, saying they hope the historical society will commit to repaying the county before they will settle the debt themselves.

"At this time, no one has contacted us about it," said South Pittsburg Historical Society President Bob Sherrill. "That's a big obligation to our kind of organization. I'm not sure that I would be interested in doing that, but we'll just have to sit back and see what happens."

Society Secretary Carolyn Millhiser said South Pittsburg officials told the group earlier this year that the city would take care of the extra money.

"The deal was between the city and the county," Ms. Millhiser said. "We had nothing to do with it. Obviously, things have changed."

Mr. Moss told commissioners at their Sept. 14 meeting he won't sign a check unless the historical society commits to reimburse the county or commissioners get a court order.

"It's not that I'm against doing it because those people have worked so hard trying to get this whole thing done," said Mr. Moss. "But I've got to take a stand. This cannot become a precedent in our county."

Commissioner Jody Rollins said the contractor could sue, which would run up costs even more.

"One way or another, whether we go to court over it or not, (the county is) going to be responsible for it," Mr. Rollins said. "We might as well pay it and get it over with."

Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.