Manic Monday

editorial-logo3I have decided that any Monday that includes a County governmental meeting should be declared a Manic Monday. It has become apparent that, regardless of the amount of time that they take off, this group cannot come together and just simply do the business of the County. This was the first meeting of the New Year for the County Commission and if this is the tone that they intend to keep for the balance of their tenure then we could be in trouble. Same old issues and same old responses. Same old hard benches. Nothing is ever settled with this group. They micro manage every issue that is before them and it has virtually stalled any real progress in the County. Never is an issue decided. If there is dissention among the Commission, and there almost always is, then voting on an issue is virtually a moot point. They vote and they argue and they vote and they argue and they vote and they argue and issues never get settled. First they require department heads, commissioners and others that are requesting an agenda item to be at the work session to ask questions. Reasonable? Sure, if it is approached with reason. But this Commission is sorely lacking in reason and what it lacks in reason it makes up for in obstinance. If there are regular housekeeping items on the agenda that are not a special funding request ( meaning, they don’t cost the County money) then there is no need for department heads that have already put in an 8 plus hour day to top it off with a three or four hour Commission meeting. If a department head wants money, that is another story entirely. They should be present to answer questions regarding the request. Common sense, yes? Apparently not because the issue is coming up for vote, again, at the next voting meeting. Can we trust the Chairman to make the decision or whether an item makes it to the agenda or has policy been violated? Nope, we must micro manage and vote again.

And speaking of trust, running public money is not the same as managing your own investments and some Commissioners seem to lack that understanding. The Chairman of the Jefferson Memorial Foundation presented the recommendation of the Foundation Board, which was appointed jointly by the County and Jefferson City, regarding $12.4 million that the Board is looking to move into a situation that will produce a higher return than the current $300 per month. The recommendation was to contract with East Tennessee Foundation, which is a highly reputable group that services charitable investments. They offered comprehensive service at a better fee than piecing out the services individually and the recommendation was made after a great deal of research and consideration from the joint Board. Two Commissioners, Estes and Beeler, questioned the representative from the East Tennessee Foundation at length. Some of the questions were well thought out and reasonable and others were…not. One particular sticking point for Commissioner Beeler was that the funds would legally belong to the East Tennessee Foundation, though they would be distributed with the approval of the County/ City appointed Board and there is an escape clause that can be initiate by the vote of the County/City appointed Board. The Board would have to set up guidelines about the number of votes required to instigate the escape clause ( i.e. 2/3, unanimous, ect) but all would be at the discretion of the Board, not the East Tennessee Foundation. The Commissioner was concerned about what would happen to the funds if Jefferson County and Jefferson City and the Jefferson Memorial Foundation Board all fold. I wonder what the chances are that Jefferson County or Jefferson City will fold? I know that there is the possibility that an earthquake in the Memphis area could have local impact and Watts Bar is always a concern. Hummm…

The first County Commission meeting of 2014 (three hours) gave me plenty of time for contemplation and I am still pondering three questions.

Doesn’t anyone (friend, mother, wife, squirrel in the back yard) vet what these Commissioners are going to say?

Why do people who so clearly dislike and distrust each other want to spend so much time together?

And lastly, Do you know of another place that a professional can attend a meeting and have a $12.4 million dollar colonoscopy simultaneously?

Welcome back.

Source: K. Depew, News Director