Joe Graham’s fear was correct.
A faction of the Hamilton County Commission tried on Wednesday to spend $200,000 in discretionary money that commissioners Graham and Marty Haynes wished to return to the county’s reserve fund at Wednesday morning’s meeting.
But after long-winded ideological pleas from a number of commissioners, the attempt to redirect Graham’s and Haynes’ discretionary fund to the Orange Grove Center was defeated 5-4. The commissioners then voted to allow Graham and Haynes to return the money to the reserve, or “rainy day” fund.
District 4 commissioner Warren Mackey made the original motion to move the money to the Orange Grove Center, which sits in in his district. District 7 commissioner Sabrena Turner-Smedley seconded the motion and voiced strong support for moving the money.
Turner, Mackey, Randy Fairbanks and Chester Bankston voted in favor of moving Graham’s and Haynes’ discretionary funds to the center.
Graham, Haynes, Jim Fields, Tim Boyd and Greg Beck voted against the move.