Jim Coppinger vetoes Hamilton County budget over discretionary funds

Veto is Coppinger's first since taking office

Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger did not include discretionary funds for commissioners in his 2016 budget.
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger did not include discretionary funds for commissioners in his 2016 budget.

Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger has vetoed the county's 2016 budget after county commissioners last week voted to restock their discretionary funds from the county's rainy day fund.

Before passing the 2016 budget last week, the commission added an amendment to withdraw $900,000 from the general fund balance to reinstate discretionary spending for the commission, which Coppinger had purposefully taken out.

photo Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 6/22/15. Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger vetoes the County Commission's amended budget on June 22, 2015 after they reinstated discretionary funds last Wednesday.

At the south steps of the county courthouse today, Coppinger said it was "irresponsible to draw nearly $1 million from the county's rainy-day fund" to pay for "unspecified wants."

In the past, each commissioner has been given $100,000 a year to spend on special projects. They have said the money goes to projects that might not otherwise be funded, but critics have called the practice political pork.

Coppinger said he left the nearly $1 million out of the budget because there was no revenue source to pay for it, and he had already cut other necessary programs in order to avoid a tax increase.

Commissioners have 20 days to override the veto. Otherwise it stands, and the commission will again have to vote on whether to pass the budget.

Upcoming Events