Hamilton commissioners vote themselves more buying power

Principal Tom Arnold demonstrates the camera system at Ooltewah Elementary School in this Nov. 21, 2014 file photo.
Principal Tom Arnold demonstrates the camera system at Ooltewah Elementary School in this Nov. 21, 2014 file photo.

Hamilton County commissioners already individually control more money than any other local elected officials in the state -- by a wide margin. And Wednesday, they voted to give themselves a little more buying power.

In addition to the $100,000 a year each commissioner gets in discretionary spending for county capital projects, commissioners voted to divvy up the proceeds from the pending sale of the old East Brainerd Elementary School building and use the money to cover school projects in their districts.

The move was tacked onto a resolution allowing Mayor Jim Coppinger to move $2.2 million from the sale of the old Ooltewah Elementary School to the general fund and spend the same amount in bond funds to buy security cameras for all county schools.

photo A camera is mounted in the office of Ooltewah Elementary School.

The resolution states that money from the East Brainerd Elementary school sale will be equally distributed across the county's nine districts "to pay for the needs in the various schools."

Typically, the Hamilton County School Board or system officials decide what those needs are -- but not with this special, commission-crafted set-aside.

With this fund, commissioners "in coordination with their respective school board members" will direct the funds.

Hamilton County commissioners are the only local elected officials in Tennessee allowed to personally direct more than $5,000 in spending.

Commissioner Joe Graham asked for the amendment last week during an agenda session. Commissioners were provided a paper copy of the language Wednesday, but no copies were available to the public before the meeting.

Graham said allowing commissioners to direct money from the school sales would make such sales more equitable across the county.

"Because this is one-time money, and in the last $100 million of appropriated school funds, District 6 has not seen any of that money," Graham said.

Graham said after the meeting that discretionary funds get used on school projects, too, but for many aged schools, even $100,000 a year isn't enough.

"The schools are so far behind on technology, I wouldn't care if we didn't just take one-ninth of the money. And divide it up among all my schools and let them buy technology. This is the Gig City and our schools are out of date," Graham said.

The amendment passed 7-2, with commissioners Sabrena Smedley and Randy Fairbanks voting against it. But even those in favor of the resolution had questions.

Commissioner Warren Mackey suggested that a nine-way split might not be fair to all districts, either.

"I have 13 schools [in my district]. Some commissioners have eight schools. If we divide it up equitably, what's equitable?"

Smedley shared that sentiment, and Fairbanks questioned whether the move was necessary.

"I figured we'd just wait, sell East Brainerd and say, 'OK, this is what we are going to do with this money.' Why you would put that in a motion like that, I can't understand why," Fairbanks said.

It's unclear how much actual money the commissioners will get to direct.

Schools Superintendent Rick Smith told them the process of selling the property will start in 2016.

And he had more to say but wasn't given the opportunity.

Smith started what might have been a presentation on the school sale and the proceeds, but commission Chairman Jim Fields shut him down, telling Smith he was only asked about when the sale would happen.

Smith did not return a phone call from a reporter after the meeting Wednesday.

Contact staff writer Louie Brogdon at lbrogdon@timesfreepress.com, @glbrogdoniv on Twitter or at 423-757-6481.

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