Palmieri Vetos Budget

As provided in TCA 5-6-107 Powers and duties – Action on legislation; I am vetoing Budget Resolutions 2016-25, 26, 27 for the following reasons.

The budget committee and county commission continues to pass out money based on personalities and favoritism to pay back favors instead of needs and principals. It is impossible to justify members of a budget committee who cannot read a financial spreadsheet or do not have operation financial management experience. This budget fails to meet serious needs for our county.

When a safety issue is presented to commission and a request is made for funds to correct the issue and the request is ignored based not on matter but the presenter a serious problem exists among the legislative body. This problem is harmful and dangerous for the employees and residents alike. This type of practice has no place in the financial management of Jefferson County but is the norm rather than the exception. Present legislators continue to abuse their authority by trying to run departments instead of legislating.

Last year the Budget Committee and County Commission improperly and, in my opinion, illegally cut funding to the Environmental and Building Departments and failed to restore these funds this year. Commission’s abuse of power has hurt these departments ability to provide service.

For these reasons I am vetoing the above budget resolutions.