DOE and Chamber Budget Items
If you have been trying to keep up with the budgeting process but have lost track of all of the numbers, don’t feel alone. Confusing at best and gibberish at worst, I am not sure that anyone, including those that prepare the budgets and those that vote on them, understands every aspect of the budgeting […]
Megasite Issue May Reach Into EDOC & Chamber Funding
This week will prove interesting for some in the County. It has become apparent that the Megasite issue may have a longer reaching impact than was ever anticipated, especially by those that brought the project to the forefront. For several budgeting season there has been debate regarding the funding level of the Chamber of Commerce […]
Budget Time Again
Jefferson County is deep in the budgeting process and Helton, who is the Director of Finance, actually muttered the words tax increase last week, while giving the School Board the first look at their budget proposal for 2013-2014. Will it actually come down to a tax increase this year? I have heard dissenting opinions on […]
Citizen Input? What A Concept!
Jefferson County will soon have an Audit Committee that will be taking a look at one particular reoccurring audit finding. When Jefferson County decided to open the current landfill, the State of Tennessee required financial assurances that it would have the funds to properly close it, should or when the need arises. The greater the […]
Budgets Should Follow Priorities
Many times it is difficult to know just how important our emergency services are until you, or a family member, needs them. The City and County budgeting cycles are well under way and soon enough the respective bodies will be calling for and justifying budget cuts. I hope that, this fiscal cycle, our governing bodies […]
Back On A Slippery Slope
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water…duh, duh, duh…the County Commission is at it again. This time we are revisiting the Dirty Lot Law and Noise Ordinance. Not to be confused with the Outdoor Music Event Ordinance. I have a real issue with the government overstepping its boundaries and […]
The Battle Wages On
The Ethics Committee convened this week and the hour plus of debate was uncomfortable. Frankly, most of the issues that were brought up in the meeting could have been addressed with a simple phone call to the Director of Schools. At question was the propriety of Commissioner Turner leaving school grounds to attend County government […]
Changes
A lot has gone on this week in Jefferson County, but it pales in comparison to the things that are happening in our Nation. Though we complain loudly and often and, much of the time, correctly, this week our list of complaints seems almost inconsequential. Many have found themselves wondering how things got so far […]
Fool Us Twice And We Deserve It
This week the County Commission is expected to remove all financial support for the proposed Megasite project. Though the past few months have been a mega roller coaster ride for Jefferson County, perhaps some benefit has come from the defunct project. As a community, most have been blissfully unaware of their government and those that […]
A Nasty Swishing Sound
Big news hit Jefferson County this week in the form of a Mega Withdrawal from the proposed Megasite project. Late Thursday afternoon, EDOC released a statement that they would not continue to pursue the Megasite project and the news came as a welcome relief to property owners who live in the proposed footprint. As most […]
Epic Fall
This could shape up to be an interesting week in Jefferson County. Last week some members of the Nominating Committee made the push for a Called Meeting for action and discussion regarding the Chairman of the Committee and for scheduling of meeting times. Add in the fact that the Legal Counsel for Open Meetings in […]
A Springer Moment
For those that have not yet heard, Jefferson County has digressed to a Jerry Springer state and it is not pretty. In fact, it is ugly and embarrassing. The behavior of the County Commission hit an all time low last week and, lucky for us, it was all captured for posterity on video so that […]
The Purple Heifer
Often, I mention the responsibility of elected officials to seek correct information before voting on an issue. Those in a position of power have the charge of using it wisely for the benefit of the people and even the wisest must be informed to make good decisions. There have been several issues that have presented […]
Everybody Has One
Tempers are running high in Jefferson County. There are several emotional issues that are facing, or have faced, our County in the past few months and it has left many residents feeling a little raw. For those that are not stakeholders in the sense that their daily life is going to be impacted by these […]
Lots of Assumptions
I often wish that things were as easy as they seem to be, yet very few things ever are. I have spent a considerable amount of time looking for information on the Megasite proposal. Sure, I know that it is temporarily out of the spotlight. But, when the time comes for a request for additional […]
Trusting or Complacent?
Sometimes I wonder if we are a trusting society or complacent. There is a responsibility that is inherit in positions of power to know the facts and to act upon them. It is too easy, especially in small, tight knit communities, to just take everything at face value. In another time, that might have been […]
