On the second day, the conversation turned toward Hamilton County Schools and its superintendent.
In the second of County Mayor Jim Coppinger's County Conversations meetings -- this one at Soddy-Daisy Middle School -- Commissioner Fred Skillern and School Board Member Rhonda Thurman took turns criticizing the superintendent and the way the school system spends money.
Their first opportunity came in response to a question from an audience member about County Commissioner Joe Graham's plan to allow the county to keep new money generated for schools by payment in lieu of taxes agreements so the county can use it for new school construction. The PILOT agreements routinely are used to lure companies into the area, such as Volkswagen.
Skillern accused Superintendent Jim Scales of spending the school funds like "monopoly money."
"That's the money when he wants to hire somebody he can always find it," Skillern said, saying the superintendent would use the money for purposes other than school construction.
When he asked Thurman if his assessment of the situation was accurate, Thurman said, "Preach on."
Thurman said she doesn't have a problem with the commission keeping the money.
"If you give it to the school system, we won't have enough money left," Thurman said afterward.
She told the audience the school system will always spend money on its central office first. "You won't find leaky roofs, toilets that won't flush," Thurman said.
The next question from the audience was about how to make the school's central office more accountable. Also, the audience member asked, should a superintendent be elected?
Thurman said superintendents should be "absolutely" elected, and they also should be local. Scales came to Hamilton County from the Dallas Independent School District.
Skillern said the county doesn't need superintendents "with their suitcases."
Coppinger, who recently was appointed as mayor by the County Commission, added he is more comfortable when "people are making the decisions."
Afterward, Thurman said the school system is "going in the wrong direction" under Scales. Skillern said, "He can leave tomorrow as far as I'm concerned."
Scales said via phone Tuesday that the school board approves every spending decision he makes.
"They'll have no record of me doing reckless spending in Hamilton County," Scales said. "I refute that wholeheartedly. What I say is the money that we have received in Hamilton County since I've been here, we've been very frugal with it. We've been good stewards of taxpayer dollars."
As for whether he should leave before his contract is up in 2012, Scales said that's up to the school board.
"I work for the board," Scales said. "That's a board decision, and if that's what the board wants then the board will talk to me."
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