A suggestion to revive discretionary funds for Hamilton County commissioners didn’t get a lot of love from the four people who are vying to be county mayor in May’s primaries.
On Wednesday, District 8 commissioner Tim Boyd, in requesting authorization of his district’s leftover funds from 2015 for equipment for a new East Ridge fire truck, said he’d like to see the return of $100,000 allotments for each commissioner to use in their district.
“My wish,” he said during Wednesday’s commission meeting, “is that the discretionary funds would come back. I think they’re well deserved.”
Boyd, though, won’t have a vote. He is leaving the commission after three terms.
But with at least five new commissioners on what will be an 11-member board after August’s county election, and two on the current commission who may be back who have voted for discretionary funds in the past, he hopes there will be a fresh wind blowing for their return.
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger zeroed the previously allocated funds out of the budget for fiscal 2015, but six commissioners added them back and passed the budget. Coppinger vetoed the budget, but six commissioners overrode his veto. But they have not been included since.
And it appears those who want to succeed Boyd aren’t immediately inclined to bring them back.
Commission chair Sabrena Smedley, one of three Republicans running in the May primary, said during the meeting she “couldn’t agree with [Coppinger] more” and that “some of us didn’t support” the return of discretionary funds. However, she did previously vote for them to get permanent restrooms in place instead of portable toilets for fans at East Hamilton High School football games, she said.
Former home remodeling company owner Matt Hullander said in an email through his spokeswoman, “I support the stance taken by Mayor Coppinger. We should use all of our dollars to benefit all of the county. If a project is needed, it should be brought before the commission for a vote.”
Entrepreneur Weston Wamp said county dollars must be expended carefully.
“Commissioners should know the needs of their communities better than anyone,” he said in a text, “and discretionary funds can meet important needs. However, there is fear that taxpayer money will be used in return for political favors. If we are going to restore the public’s trust, the allocation of all taxpayer dollars must be structured with transparency and oversight.”
However, Democrat Matt Adams, in an email, opened the door a crack to their return.
“Discretionary funds [allow commissioners] to address issues in their communities in a timely manner,” he wrote. “If these funds were to return, it would be necessary to provide oversight of the funds being spent to ensure that issues that have arisen with improper usage in the past would not occur. We should also look at potentially a smaller amount given to each commissioner to facilitate the needs of their districts without taking such a large sum from the budget.”
While we do not dispute the good that money can do in each district, we have been against the use of such funds. As Coppinger pointed out, some of the funds through the years were misused. But his larger point, and ours, is that if specific needs in the county require county funding, they should come through the regular open budget process.
And during the fiscal year, if a desperate need arises in a particular district, a resolution can be made for the authorization of money from the county’s rainy day fund.
Boyd’s proposal had one immediate backer, District 5 Commissioner Warren Mackey, who always has supported the funds and currently has no primary or general-election opposition for a fifth full term.
“I, too, will do everything I can to bring [them] back,” he said. “Every district needs that money to support many good programs. …. We know the needs, and sometimes it takes special efforts to reach out to the citizens of Hamilton County … I’m 110% in front of you on this item.”
Coppinger couldn’t help but react.
“You got hope because I’m leaving,” he said.
Coppinger went on to explain how it was the mayor’s job through the budget to make sure county funds were spent soundly, that not giving out $900,000 annually to commissioners has allowed the county to fund more “big-ticket items,” and that discretionary funds were not fiscally conservative, no matter how often commissioners might term themselves as such.
Mackey shot back that there was nothing illegal about the funds.
“That water has been poisoned,” he said. “It has been poisoned unfairly. People pay money for taxes. They expect benefits for their money.”
Coppinger closed the discussion by saying that it was the county mayor’s responsibility to make sure taxpayer funds benefited the entire county.
“I hope this mentality [in favor of the funds] changes,” he said. “Look at the bigger picture.”
We hope that’s what members of the new 11-member body will do when they take their places after the August election.