The purpose of the "Giles Free Speech Zone" is to identify problems of concern to the people of Giles County, to discuss them in a gentlemanly and civil manner, while referring to the facts and giving evidence to back up whatever claims are made, making logical arguments that avoid any use of fallacy, and, hopefully, to come together in agreement, and find a positive solution to the problem at hand. Help make a difference! Email "mcpeters@usit.net" to suggest topics or make private comments.
At the Financial Management Committee Meeting held on 24 April action was taken by the committee that is in direct violation of Tennessee Law. The Financial Management System of 1981, as passed twice by the voters of
posted by Allen Barrett | 2:20 PM
119 Comments:
How can bookkeepers stay at their present stations when all the software will be at the Financial Mangement office? I think people have been saying all along that some of those people do jobs besides bookkeeping. Perhaps that is what these people will be doing and will not be doing bookkeeping at all. The complaints are starting about Financial Management already. I knew that nothing would make you folks happy!
This is why people were leery of Financial Management. Can't imagine why Loretta Garner would go along because this will be her train ticket out the door!!! People have had enough.
The problem is not with the Financial Management Act or even with the office. The problem is clearly one created by the county executive who has been opposed to it from the beginning and has done everything she can to undermine it.
If people would simply follow the law there would be no problem. This is the law T.C.A. 5-21-103 requires all employees performing the function of purchasing, payroll, accounting and budgeting in the various departments to be transferred to the finance department". This is a no if ands or buts requirement. If the county executive would simply follow the law there would be no problem.
Financial management will be a great boost to the county when the lawbreakers back off and stop trying to manipulate it to their benefit. Allen Barrett
I believe that Mrs. Garner and CTAS have looked at the job descriptions and decided that they do not need all the bookkeepers. It is not cost effective to have more people than the jobs require. Which bookkeepers are not going anyway? We have known for a long time that Julie is not going. The will not keep books at the old offices, they won't have the software to do it. They may stay at the old offices but not doing bookkeeping. They will be plain old secretaries.
how many plain old secretaries make over $40,000.00 a year. If the person didn't go the salary was suppose to have gone.
I guess then that we are talking about Julie again.
It could be that the ones who don't go are just receptionist, if so very well paid for that position. The taxpayers have enough expense with the high gasoline cost. If the Hwy. Dept. is the one being referred to, you would think Barry would try to cut his expenses to compensate for the high fuel cost. I GUESS IT IS JUST EASIER TO ASK TAXPAYERS FOR MORE MONEY.
If all the bookeepers are not needed why not give some pink slips?
The solution is simple ...call your commissioner and tell them to not fund Julie's salary of $45,000.
The Meyer woman's bookkeeper position was created by Barry after finanacial management was voted in by the taxpayers to simply keep Julie at the highway department because she did not "want" to go to the finance office. This was taxpayer's money that was wasted to give Julie her way. And she is still being paid the salary of a bookkeeper. This is just not right. Her job should be reclassified and she should be compensated accordingly. This was hers and Barry's choice...why should we as taxpayer's have to pay for what a employee's wants and desires.
Call your commissioner..let them know that you are tired of being railroaded by county officials and that it has to stop. Your voice has to be heard for there to be a change.
Shame on you Barry..for doing this to the people that you promised to serve..Shame on you Julie for screwing over not only taxpayers but other employees of the county.
What does other receptionist in the county make...??..that is what Julie should make or she should find another job!!! We as the citizens do not want to employ her at that salary!!!!!
Receptionist at Board of Ed makes about $20,000.
Saw in paper where Barry Hyatt is asking for a budget amendment...guess he is asking for more money to come out of his fund balance for fuel, seems he would have part of it if her had not hired the Myer's lady as a additional bookkeeper to protect Julie and to dupe the county by the new salary sent to the budget office.
Remember the more he transfers funds out of his fund balance, the more it cost taxpayers to replace it.
What kind of "powers" does Julie have over Barry...that is some kind of "friendship" that he would put her before his reputation. I have always thought he was such a good person and would do a better job than Britton did as road supt. He has been such a big disappointment. The roads are in awful shape. And this is just another sign of wasteful spending by Barry.
Why is no one running aginst Barry?
Thank you for the info as to what a receptionist makes at the board. Do you as citizens of Giles County want to pay Julie more than twice as much as the receptionist position in the county pays??
Stand up and be heard!!!
Probably afraid they would be attacked by Barry like Morris Woodard was!!! From what I hear Barry and his "supervisors" will go after anyone who chooses to stand up to them or question anything that they do!!
Watch out WAB you might be next...
A lawsuit should be filed by the taxpayers of Giles County against Barry Hyatt, Janet Vanzant, Julie Phillips, and the county commission for allowing this to happen. This was brought out in the public in the very beginning. Nothing has been done about it. Julie is still making her big salary. This is stealing from the county. If the law says she and her salary was suppose to go to the finance office...that is what should have happened and if it didn't them there has been a violation against the law.
I can not believe that Barry has been allowed to get away with hiring the Meyers woman after the taxpayers voted this law into place. What a slap in the face to the citizens!!!! Probably thought he was pulling a fast one.
Someone needs to start a petition to have Julie removed from her position and to have the powers that be to pay for what they are doing to us!! I work in another office in the county and I would have to face the wrath of Janet if I did. The previous blogger is correct...we do need to stand up and fight this kind of behavior by county officials. I would like to make a bookkeeper's salary and not have the responsibilities..but I don't have a "friend" to take care of me. If Barry chooses to compensate his "friend, loose terms" he needs to do so out of his personal pocket and not the citizens of Giles County.
What is happening with Julie Phillips is not Loretta Garner or the financial management department's fault it lie squarely on Barry Hyatt and Janet Vanzant's shoulder's.
Give financial management a break...this is individual county officials that are disobeying what the citizens have voiced twice with their votes!
Ask Barry how much is being spent on the road that leads to Gene Barnickle's new property in Minor Hill? Pays to be a lead man at the highway department!! Barry sure is a good person to have as a friend...he takes care of you well!! Cudos for Gene and Julie!!!!
More money for the highway department...I for one say "I don't think so!!" Think he has wasted enough.
Run against him then!
Even if no one is running against Barry we can just not vote for him. I know he will still get the position, but it will let him know how we feel. Next election we need to make sure a good canadite runs against him. He has shown he does not care about the taxpayers.
Screw all you people who are badmouthing Barry Hyatt! He is better than Pete Britton ever thought about trying to be! You people have way to vivid of an imagination. Barry is a good guy, plus he already has been scrimping and cutting back. He is one of the last to ask for Budget Amendments...Have you bungholes thought of that? He has held out as long as he could.
Barry has done a much better job with his road work management than he has his office management.
At least Pete Britton manage to pave roads and build bridges...and they weren't all around his house or to his supervisor's property. Barry is a piss poor road supt. He has never been able to manage people or money. Shows big time at the highway dept. Steve, Gene, Buster, and Kyle run the show. Barry is just the yes man. And the good ole boys ain't too good at it either.
Julie runs the office so maybe that is one of the reasons Barry has deceived us to keep her there. He is not capable.
He has acted against the 1981 act and should be thrown out of office!!!
Loretta Garner presented "options" to the financial management committee as far as the highway dept bookkeeper is concerned, even though she knows better. There are no "options" to be considered. Garner is fully aware of the law and it was her job to pull the J Phillips salary in to the finance office. It is not even a question for the financial management committee. Every person on that committee, with J Vanzant as the Chair, violated the law, including Garner who could have her CPA licence pulled for this. Garner seems to have the impression she works for JPV but she works for the whole committee. We ought to be able to have the attorney general come into this.
Thank you Mr Barrett for bringing this breaking of the law to light.
I voted against the financial management twice. I knew that all we had to do was sit back and wait and vultures would be circling the area. Since the act passed why don't you folks give it a chance to get off the ground. The bookkeeper was hired before Loretta had any say so. She has not been given a chance to do anything. All she can do is work with what is there. If you folks keep the magnifying glass so close and keep complaining the ones that voted yes are going to change their minds!! She has no say so in the personell that is at the highway department. She cannot control everyone even thought ya'll thought she would have more control than she does. Financial management is a control of the budge5t that is given to them not control over what is budgeted. If Barry wants the salary of Julie to stay there it will. He can even do an amendment to make sure the money is there if he wants to. Like we said all along, the directors of these departments will have the same control they always have! If you would stop thinking that everyone is a crook and let the Finance office do it's job everything might work out all right. At least I have enough sense to let my feelings that this is Finance Office is wrong be put to the side and hope that since it is here that it will work!
The bookkeeper Barry hired for the highway department was employed after the first vote and was hired to keep Julie at the highway department. Everyone that I have talked to has no problem with Julie staying at the highway department but they do have a problem with her salary staying the same and the fact that Barry and Julie have been so deceitful. They also have a problem that they have blatantly disregarded the T.C.A.5-21-103 Law (The Financial Management System of 1981) and the vote of the citizens of Giles County and chose to add more finacial hardship for the taxpayers of the county.
A previous blogger said that they were ashamed of Julie and Barry...I feel something stronger like contempt. How dare they do this to the citizens that put food in their mouths and clothes on their back. Julie's hushabd Kyle works for the citizens of Giles County also...so we are literally supporting their family with our tax dollars.
Let's let them know that we will not pay for Julie's high salary for a receptionist job. CALL YOUR COMMISSIONERS!!! TELL THEM THAT THIS HAS TO STOP!!! PAY JULIE FOR THE JOB DESCRIPTION OF RECEPTIONIST LIKE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION POSITIONS PAYS. $20,000She chose to no longer have the bookkeeper's position so we should pay her accordingly.
12:27 you are quite right in all you say.
Mr Barrett would you please post the TCA that specifies that all bookkeepers and their salaries MUST transfer to the finance dwept, then Anonymous of 9:07 might understand the facts of the law.
What was the purpose of voting for this law..not once but twice if the people that we have elected to serve us and to protect our financial stability in the various department have so little regard for us or the will of the people. It is not right that they have chose to disobey this law. Something needs to be done about it. Maybe the DA should be told what is going on. Barry should be removed from office for his total disregard for the citizens and disobeying the law that the citizens voted in. Julie should be fired.
Another question is "Why did Paula Hobbs (Ambulance Dept. Bookkeeper) go back to ambulance dept. after working for Loretta Garner a short time??? I hear she didn't like working for Loretta. Was there still money at the Ambulance Dept. for this newly created position?? Lots of HANKY PANKY going on with new positions!!!
There needs to be a full scale investigation into what is happening with our tax dollars!!!!!!
You can read the whole thing at Legal Resources or you can do a Google Search of Tennessee Code Annotated then click Legal Resources then click the box next to Tennessee, go to chapter 5 then in the newly opened box click chapter 21. Tennessee Code Annotated 5-21-103 is what you want.
This is the key element from Tennessee Code Annotated that pertains to this situation.
5-21-103 (a) (2) (c) “All employees performing the functions of purchasing, payroll, accounting and budgeting in the various operating department shall be transferred to the supervision of the director of finance, and such salaries, benefits and expenses relating to such personnel shall be budgeted under the finance department, not withstanding any other law to the contrary. No employee may be transferred, however, from the office of the trustee, county clerk, assessor of property, clerks of court, register of deeds or sheriff”.
Now from the state attorney general comes opinion 91-25 in which he states this, “Since T.C.A. 5-21-103 requires transfer of the employees performing the fiscal functions is mandatory, notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, an employee may not refuse to transfer”. “An employee may receive a lower salary if transferred to the finance department”.
The law as written is not being followed and the opinion of the state attorney general is being ignored. Allen Barrett
Thanks Allen for the information!!!
How can Barry Hyatt, Janet Vanzant, County Commission, Finance Department or anyone else justify NOT terminating Julie Phillips? For that matter, I agree that Barry Hyatt should be removed from office because of what he has done to the citizens of Giles County. What on earth was he thinking...besides that he could get away with it without getting caught.
I agree that there should be a full investigation and that heads need to roll. How dare Barry and Julie do this deceitful thing to the tazpayers. Mrs. Meyers should keep her job and Julie should go home as the law says.
I know Barry and Loretta. I am certain Loretta will do her job and do it legally.....What Barry has done is not. Loretta was an honor student in school. She's very intelligent and very honest and has always worked hard for what she has. Barry cant manage his hair much less money. I cant believe he's running again. The yrs he's been in office are the longest he's EVER worked anywhere. Barry likes to use band-aids to fix things. He always has. The base of his home is a single wide trailer. Nothing wrong with living in one. Dont misunderstand. But with the money he has borrowed and spent to change the trailer, he could have built a nice house. Just a sign, he cant manage money. He was so against the Financial Act that he was preaching about it before the vote to everyone he came in contact with. Jenny Myers had no hand in this. She was just someone looking for a job and got one. She should stay and Julie should go. It seems to me the rules are stated and I cant understand why Julie and Barry dont understand that JUlie was suppose to go to the Financial office....she didnt .so she should go home. End of story.
Amen!!!
Julie is spoiled and thought she would get her way!!!
We can't let this happen!! Call your commissioners, the Attorney General, Loretta Garner, or whoever else.
Loretta is at a point now that she can say that the salary has been taken to her office and their is no bookkeeper at the hwy dept..so there is no Julie there either. She needs to stand up and do her job.
This not only looks bad on Julie and Barry, but it reflects on Janet Vanzant, the Co. Commission, and especially on Loretta Garner and her newly formed financial office.
I know Barry & Julie personally and didn't have anything against them until now. It pisses me off royally that they did this. I believe Julie should be sent home and as for Barry well who knows how long he'll last?
Has anyone asked Barry or Julie what justification they have for doing this to the county?? Surely it wasn't just about friendship. What is Julie doing for the hwy. dept. to earn that big salary since she isn't keeping the books???
Barry, we deserve answers to what you and Julie have done. You should stand up and be a man and admit what you did and send Julie packing!! This is not about friendship..it is about taxpayers dollars. You have no right to put this burden on us!!!
Mr. Barrett, thank you for giving me the site to research the law.
Something has to be done about what Mr. Hyatt has done to this county. No only did he disobey the law he also has disobeyed the attorney general's findings.
We as citizens need let our voices be heard and say we will not put up with this kind of behavior.
Barry and Julie have gave this county a bad deal. Shame, Shame, Shame!!!!
Was Barry the one raised her salary so big or did she have it before Barry came into the job?
Has her salary been compared to surrounding counties with the same job?
I am disappointed she didn't go to the Finance Department. Are there others that refused to go?
There was a problem on the road I live on that Barry fixed GOOD, not a bandaid job. This problem had been there for several years.
Someone had said something about Barry having the limbs and other things cut on the road side. I think he did a good thing in that. Storms could of made these limbs fall in the road and they would have to get out and clean them up with overtime pay. We also need the sides of our roads to look good. We want Giles County to be beautiful.
Why did no one run against him?
They thought he was doing a good job or afraid I being criticized.
I would say most of us dont know why there is no one running against Barry. I personally wish Tommy Hyatt was running against him instead of for the Tax Assesser job.(He'll get my vote for that)Tommy Hyatt is a good, honest person with a heart of gold. He also has a smart head on his shoulders and I truly believe he would be honest and forth-right in any decision he had to make for the tax-payers. I feel certain he wouldnt be swayed by friendship. He's one of those people who would kindly explain to his friends if asked for favors that he has a job to do, he has to answer to alot of people(tax-payers)and he would say, "I'm sorry thats not ethical nor is it by the rules and I have to do what was is legal and right. I hope you understand".I know if he was in the hwy dept now, Julie would be at home.
I am so very disappointed in Barry's behavior. But it isnt the first time. I know him VERY WELL.
Knowing him like I do, I KNOW he isnt the honest man he's been made out to be. He has several "areas" in his life where he lacks honesty. Because I know this, I didnt vote for him the first time even though there was noone running against him. I made me feel better to know I didnt personally help get him in the office. Blogger-4/28-2008 @ 9:40 am is absolutely correct in everything they said. They probably know what "areas" I'm talking about.
The sad part in all of this is..........will anything be done? Will Barry and Julie both get to keep their positions and money?
ATTENTION to my commissioners: Tim Risner, David Adams and Billy Beets. I want them both out. I'm tired of them spending MY MONEY!!!!!!!!
Yes, I'm from Bodenham...........So, I have a birdseye view of what Barry does and says....He has a hard time keeping secrets and I've known him for a VERY long time........So, I also know another sad thing........He takes care of himself first above ANYONE.......and he doesnt care who he hurts or stomps all over and I promise you, he doesnt care.
In addition to Barry Hyatt and Julie Phillips, every person on that Financial Committee are as much to blame - this means Vanzant, Tee Jackson, (Hyatt), Bill Holt, Robert Lee, Roger Reedy,Alan faulkner and Loretta Garner. Everyone one of them is very aware of the laws,codes and attorney general opinion relating to the financial management office
yet the committee voted for this illegal action. Garner didnt raise her voice and nor did our wonderful county attorney Scott
Speer. Mr barrett can you have the attorney general intervene.
Once again you folks are missing the whole picture. The directors of these departments make their own budget. It has to balance but Loretta does not have a say so in what is put into the budget. It has been said over and over that Financial Management does not decide the budget they only mangage the funds that the directors put in them. You all thought that everything would be controlled but you are wrong. The money is still decided at the offices not by Loretta. They can put salaries wherever they want for whoever they want. Julie can stay as long as Barry puts the salary there. Sorry!!
Julie is not a true friend of Barry or she would quickly step out of the picture. She is letting his reputation be ruined because of her. Who needs friends like that?
5:08 pm
No one has ever said or thought the financial dept creates the budgets. Agreed the various departments create and submit their own. Garner's job is to advise these departments. Now then, this latest escapade by the finance committee is breaking the law as far as it is written regarding the department bookkeepers into the finance dept along with the associated salaries. What you speak about is something different altogether. Mr Barrett has posted the TCA law on this. Perhaps you might read it.
Tennessee has always been considered a hillbilly state by outsiders. It looks like redneck Giles County can head the list of counties now as one of the dumbest.
8:24, thank you so much for your advise. I have read TCA long before Mr. Barrett put it on this blog. I take voting very seriously and would not vote on an issue without first investigating for myself. I also checked with counties who are already doing Financial Management. When I was talking about the Committee and Loretta not having a say in budgets I was answering to whomever wrote that the committee should do something. They don't have the power to run the highway department or any other department. TCA does not say that. Yes, the bookkeepers are supposed to go, I agree there, but he hired a bookkeeper and she is going. He can pay his "receptionist" whatever he wants, that is his budget. I don't know Barry and I don't know Julie so I can't speak for either one's integrity and I would not speak against them without knowing them. I don't like "hearsay" and most of these comments are opinions and not fact.
anonymous..
If you are not happy living here in this hillbilly state and redneck county, why don't you move? Why would you want to live here among people who are so beneath you? How about Detroit or San Francisco? I'd say you would be happier in places such as those.
Julie and Barry have wronged this county. Do you NOT know that when Barry hired the (new) bookkeeper to take Julie's place at the finance office that cost us the taxpayers. Not only are we paying for this employee's salary but also for insurance, retirement,etc. And we are still paying Julie the Big Salary and all of the benefits as if she is still the bookkeeper.
Barry probably can pay Julie as much as he wants, however, if he does he has no ethics or integrity and is turning his back on this county for the personal gain of one of his "friends".
Barry, Julie made her choice...now you need to do what is right. Either cut her salary or send her home.
Does the county commission not have to vote on the highway department's budget? If he has all this excess money to hire new employees to protect other employees, maybe the commission needs to cut his budget of all the fat. No pun intended Julie!!
Again Barry, do what is right!!! Show this county that you do have some integrity and care about the taxpayers that voted for you.
7:13 If things happen in your home and with your children that you think is wrong do you try to improve the situation or do you just leave?
Sounds like Tommy Hyatt is using this blog and subject to toot his own horn. Just remember that he was going to run for road superintendent and then pulled out of that race. If he sincerely thought things were bad at the highway garage where he worked why didn't he stay in the race. Sort of wishy washy? I'm from Bodenham too but don't see things the same way you do from my window.
Tommy Hyatt honest----HA! HA! He wouldn't know the truth if it it him in the head. He is a blow hard that is also a cheater and a back stabber.
BEWARE!
The county commissioners that make up the Budget Committee are the ones who approves the budgets. I have already been to one of my commissioners and that is what I'm told. Call or write to the ones who are on the Budget Committee. You can get the list from Janet Vanzant's office.
You are wrong! It is the entire commission that approves the budget. Committees on the Commission have no authority to make official decisions for the county.
508 - The big change is integrity of financial data. The financial director has an obligation to not pass false numbers! Examples: falsifications in revenue have consistently been the basis for tax increase demands. Those same type of falsifications give false results in annual financial results. TJ & the book cookers may find themselves in a bind.
No new money should disappear from the vocabulary! A wonderful thought.
reader assignment: find & publish the laws regarding falsification of government documents.....
7:38
Agree with you - time for the commission to vote against all these huge budget requests, cut a bunch of them. Plenty of money in county coffers, just being spent in ridiculous way. Yep, time to cut the fat!
7,27 Good points proves GC has a lot more than just good people & unusually good common sense - Let's add a good plan to it.
thanks!!!!!!!!!!!
8:23 am & 9:01 am-
I made the nice comments about Tommy Hyatt and he is a friend of mine. I made those comments on how he treats me and his other friends. You are entitled to your own opinion. But its not everybody's. To my knowledge, he doesnt even know about this blog and since he is currently running for office, I dont think he would look or participate on this blog. He pulled out of the race before bc he decided he didnt want to run. Whats wrong with that?
8:23 am
The view from everybody's window I'm sure is different. Maybe you dont know Barry the way I know Barry. Like I said before, I know him VERY, VERY well.
Tommy Hyat pulled out of the race because he knew he wouldn't win. And he didn't want to face the humiliation of Barry Hyatt beating him.
And he will not win Assessor of Property because too many people know him to be a liar, cheater, and backstabber.
Just be glad that you haven't seen that side of him...cause when you do you will know that he is not anybody's friend but his own. Self Server!!
Tommy IS my friend and he's proven that more times than once. As I stated, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I just dont happen to share yours. We can agree to disagree. I do, however, think it is very cowardly of you to bad mouth him (or anyone else for that matter) and not have the guts to sign your name. As far as me not signing mine.......I dont have to.....I havent said anything ugly and he knows I'm his friend.
WHAT IS UP ALL YOU IDIOTS? IDOITS, MORONS, AND LOSERS...THAT IS ALL THAT IS ON HERE.
This has become quite dumb
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -- George W. Bush
An excellent quote if real. It does describe the situation better than anyone could.
Energy prices 4 times what they were just a very few years ago. Not enough resources for our own citizens so we export the Alaskan oil to the far east and open the borders to let in 30 or 40 million mexican illegal aliens (who have more than enough of their own oil). The IIC (Idiot in charge) has a plan to solve supply and demand - privatize it & give the rights to the Arabs (who want to kill us). By raising prices so thigh that American citizans can't use energy, there will be more than enough left over for the illegals to truck poo; it to the $5 jobs that Americans don't want because they can't afford the gas to get to work!
--Good news - ain't none
--Bad news - ain't gonna get better
--worse news - The demacrats & republican have the same plan
--even worse news - it's gonna get worse
Good effort to take the focus off the subject 8:02. If you want the subject to be oil or the president or whatever why not suggest that to the blog keepers but don't try to take the spot light off the illegal activities of the county executive, it's bad enough so much attention has been re-directed to the highway department but at least it's connected.
Re-Directed????....the employee in question from the original blog is about Julie Phillips (Highway Dept. Employee) who refused to go to finance office and about Barry Hyatt who hired a new employee just so Julie would not have to go. So this is about Barry and Julie's deceitful way they worked the county for personal friendship.
This is about the Highway Supt., Finance Director, Finance Committee, Budget Committee, Commissioners and the County Executive who are all in cahoots to disobey the financial act that the voters (taxpayers) voted in twice to protect their taxdollars. The attorney general should step in, however, it is going to take the citizens to stand up for themselves and contact him.
Stand up and be Heard!
On 5 May beginning at 8 am there will be three very important Commissioner Committee Meetings that I urge everyone to attend if you have any desire to see how our county government actually works.
8am AMBULANCE COMMITTEE
9am LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
10am BUDGET COMMITTEE
These meetings will be held in the basement conference room in the courthouse annex building (Suntrust Bank) Allen Barrett
Thursday, May 01, 2008 6:12:00 PM,
You say stand up and be heard, but YOU yourself must not want to be heard because you or too scared to stand up. Keep on posting anonymous people and your voices will never be heard. It is that simple. If you sign anonymous you might as well not speak at all because without a face there is no name and without a name there is no face. This is a place for hypocrites obviously. So stand up and be heard.
I shouldn't lower myself to you people. This comment is not directed to anyone such as Allen Barrett that is not scared to hide behind anonymous.
I have read every blog on this thread and I agree with some and disagree with most. I may not agree with with some of the comments but I understand that as a taxpayer of this county that you have the right to have an opinion. However, as for those that say that you "know" Barry Hyatt. Well it is very apparent that you DO NOT! I have known him ALL my life and I consider him one of the kindest and nicest MEN I have ever known. He has put others before hisself more times than none. As for him accomadating his "friends" in jobs and roads, then you haven't been up his road lately. By the way, anyone who says they know him well and talks about his home is definetly not a friend and you don't know him well. So you do know him, he raised a beautiful family there and calls his house home. How would you feel if someone talked about your home? I'm sure you wouldn't like it at all. Last time I checked this wasn't about his home life. This was about his job. I suggest you keep your comments to that. Because by talking about his home, you are talking about his family and how rude is that, they have nothing to do with his job and/or choices made there. I may not agree with Julie's salary, but I BELIEVE with all my heart that Barry Hyatt is doing a great job. Much better than Pete Britton and/or Tommy Hyatt would have ever done. I mean no disrespect to anyone but I just felt that some of you have crossed the line. Talk about a job not someone's home. He is not the only one that you are degrading. I AM from BODENHAM, I do SUPPORT our county officials, and I may not agree with everything they do but then again I DO NOT want their job. Next time you make a post make sure that you are only discussing Barry's job not his home and his family's choice of a home because a home is not a structure it is what is in it and considering I know the Hyatt's personally all my life, I consider their home a loving and caring place. Which is in great part due to Barry and his character. I hope this has enlightened those who say they "KNOW" him.
10:34 I applaud you. That should be true on all of these subjects. Someone's private life should be PRIVATE! There have been several times that people have criticized someone's homelife and that has nothing to do with the subjects on this blog.
10:34 Very well said. Pulaski has a lot of snobs. Everyone is created equally.The kind of house you live in does not determine the kind of person you are. Barry realy should correct the Julie situation. It realy does make him look bad.
How in the world does a topic about Vanzant's disregard for rules and law end up being a topic about Barry Hyatt?!!! This blog is whack, and it is because of the people that use it!
The law that was broken was that all bookkeepers would go to the Finanacial Management. Since Barry hired a new bookkeeper after the Mangament passed therefore his bookkeeper (Julie) is not going to the new office.
The Barry - Julie thing sucks. The Director of schools should be indicted. 99% percent of us did something we shouldn't do at least a few times today! Some ought not be allowed to walk the streets.
We have a nation going down the tubes & all we can do is argue amongst ourselves. We do not have enough oil to provide for our people (SUPPLY). All three globalists running for president are going to tear down our borders and flood our country with more illegal aliens & new immigrunts (DEMAND). The global monopolists that run our government tell those who can't afford to drive to conserve and use less (walk or stay home) - that makes you a conservationist (dumbass). Jobs??? none wages??? down Inflation ??? savings worth 30 cents on a dollar What will we do? stay home, not vote, vote for the lesser of three obominations ---
If we ever figure it all out, Americans will be in rafts headed for asylum in Cuba!!!!!
No, we will be learning to speak Chinanise. China will not listen to our demands as we have listened to Mexico.
you're absolutely right. oth - China will probably be the only hope of saving our decendants from the throat cutters ... if they work hard & keep mouth shut.
guess we're both right - those who stay will say chinamaneese The rest will be boat people.
This blog has officially died. Thank God.
It wasn't the blog it was your brain that died dimwit.
I would just like to say this about Loretta Garner and the Financial Management Act... Loretta Garner ran an ad in The Citizen Newspaper taking bids for the grass cutting at the ag park due date April 9th. A close friend of mine whom owns a lawn care business surveyed the property and turned in an estimate. When he took the bid by the office of Ms. Garner's secretary stated that Loretta was in Gatlinburg on a business trip and she had already CHOSEN some one for the job. On top of that, the Ag park was cut the very next DAY!!! Well I have yet to see any proof that any money has been stolen from an elected officials department BUT I can tell you this (PROOF)... I want to see how much the grass is cut for because my friend saved his bid. What if its 2 or 3 thousand dollars less? THAT�S STOLEN MONEY!! Why run an ad to take bids then close with a company three days prior to acceptance date? Looks like if I was trying to balance a budget I would at least wait till due date and then review each and every bid� but what do I know�I am not a CPA!!! The worst part is we as the people have absolute no say in her worthiness to keep this job after fours. One person with a lot of power with no restrictions. Where are the geniuses that voted for this CRAP now? Where�s the answer to all our problems? Glad I didn�t vote for the act to pass or I would feel like I really had the wool pulled over my eyes... I speculate that we well see more of these situations from Ms Garner!!
I am not sure of this particular situation but most bids are for the next fiscial year beginning July 1st not now. Just because she was not there when the bids were due does not mean that they were not opened at a later date. There is usually a bid date opening. You friend can get a copy of what the bid amounts were from their office.
There is a very clear law against cold bloodied murder yet daily someone in this great country is murdered in cold blood. No one claims the law is bad but that the people who disregard the law are the ones who are bad. It's the very same situation with the financial management act. The law is a good one and can save the county a great deal of money if it is followed but there are some who have broken that law, acted to sabotage, subvert it and continue to ignore the intent.
There is no question that there are those who have been brought into the financial management office at a higher salary than stated in the law. Even the adopted rules of the committee, stating no one coming into the office would receive more pay than they received in their previous position, was violated by that committee when they increased the salary of one transferee.
As I stated at the legislative committee meeting the whole issue of the highway department can be resolved by simply making public the job description of Ms. Phillips, and having Mr. Jackson explain how Ms. Sigmon came to the financial management office with a salary fourteen thousand dollars higher than he stated previously.
Please understand that the issue isn’t Mr. Hyatt, Ms. Phillips, Ms. Sigmon or Mr. Jackson, the issue is the black and white law and it’s intent that is being ignored. Allen Barrett
It is my understanding that Sigmon will be Deputy to the Financial Manager. That is not the same position that she had at her present job. Would it not make sense that you would make more than the people who are beneath you in rank. Are the people who go to the office only going to be doing the job they did at the old offices or will they all be doing combined jobs that cover the entire county? I don't think that these issues are black and white.
After reading Scott Stewarts account of what was said at the budget committee meeting I am infuriated.
How dare Scott Speer say that what was done at the highway department was right. Julie Phillips reaped all of the benefits of being the highway department bookkeeper until she decided (after the citizens of Giles County voted Financial Management into place) that she did not want to make the move and "at that point" Barry and Julie decided that they needed to hire a "bookkeeper". This not only added a new salary to the equation but also all of the county paid benefits. This is ridiculous. And who is Scott Speer to say that the best person was moved to the finance office...is he single handedly paying her salary and benefits, does she have more knowledge of county accounting than Julie Phillips. I don't think so.
Why if Julie is not needed at the finance office are they needing her to do duties that should be done out of the finance office? This is literally "BULLSHIT"!! If she is no longer a bookkeeper, she should not be involved in anyway with accounting in Giles County. And her job description should change along with the $45,000 salary.
Taxpayers are being screwed..not only by Barry, Julie, Janet Vanzant, Loretta Garner, Finance Committee but now the county attorney and the Budget Committee.
The Financial Management Law and the Attorney General's opinion is clear. Julie Phillips, the "experienced" bookkeeper was mandated to move to the finance office. It makes total sense that the person who knows county accounting should have gone..saves training time and dollars.
Why are the county commissioners, Janet Vanzsant, Loretta Garner all supporting this total disregard for the taxpayers??? We all "KNOW" why Barry Hyatt is..it is based on a very personal relationship with Julie Phillips.
If he wants to give her money and protect her, he needs to do so out of his pocket and not the taxpayers.
Julie said from day one that she did not want to go to the finance office because she thought she knew more than Loretta and that she did not want to "train" Loretta". Loretta said from day one that she didn't want Julie. So that is what this is all about. But the Attorney General's opinion and the Financial Management Law said that they would have to put their personal difference behind them and that is what needs to happen.
County Commissioners need to stand up for the people that they represent. We are begging you to right this situation!!!!
I read the law and the attorney general's opinion and tried to have the situation discussed in the Financial management committee, the legislative committee and the budget committee meetings, I was not allowed to speak in the financial management meeting even to ask a question, I was told by the legislative committee to take it up with the budget committee who in turn told me it wasn't a budget matter and to take it up with the financial management committee. Can you see the circle of do nothing that causes so much frustration and wasteful decisions?
The law specifies that "all employees performing the functions of purchasing, payroll, accounting and budgeting in the various operating departments shall be transferred to the supervision of the director of finance, and such salaries, benefits and expenses relating to such personnel shall be budgeted under the finance department". The state attorney general declared that "transfer is not an option and "a bookkeeper should not be allowed to refuse to transfer". In effect "the position is abolished and the employee is given preference for the next position they are qualified for".
I do not fully fault Mr. Speer for his decision, he is essentially working for Mrs. Vanzant and reflecting her desires not necessarily the desires of the county.
I don't even fault Mr. Hyatt, Ms. Phillips, Mrs. Garner, Ms. Sigmon or even Mr. Jackson they have done what they wanted based on their own desires, that's what most people usually do, the fault lies directly on the financial management committee who has allowed this situation to exist and spread. One major area that Mr. Hyatt, Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Vanzant are culpable in is they each serve on the Financial Management Committee but have not recused themselves from making decisions that directly favor themselves personally.
I urge everyone to contact their commissioners and seek their support in blocking all non-emergency county spending until this matter is corrected and the financial management committee and office comes into compliance with state law and the committees own rules. Allen Barrett
Mr. Barrett,
I agree with you!! Thank you so much for being the voice of the taxpayers.
I will contact my commissioner!!
To Anonymous of the 7 May 6:41 post, your statement is correct in part and I agree with you in part. The problem primarily with the whole thing is in the way it was done. While at the school Ms. Sigmon was elevated to office manager after a very short period of employment and full knowledge she would be moving in three months. She was given a $14,000.00 pay increase just days after teachers were told there was not a penny available for teachers. This increase was later identified by Mr. Jackson as a “bonus”, not a pay increase, for three months of doing extra work such as attending meetings. My position is why was a bonus given when she is a salaried employee and not paid by the hour. A salaried employee is paid regardless of the number of hours they work that’s the benefit in being salaried. Isn’t that the way teachers are paid?
The committee passed a rule that no one transferring into the financial management office would do so with an increase in salary. They have every right to transfer personnel with a lower wage since basically their previous positions were abolished in compliance with T.C.A. 49-5-409 (d).
Salaries range at the financial management office from just under $25,000.00 to over $47,000.00. Should there be such a wide range when basically each person is doing the same job? Except for seniority should those salaries not be more in line with each other?
It's the hocus pocus deception that is so exasperating. Allen Barrett
Beth Sigmon.. Is that not Merry Merle Sigmon's (Giles County Clerk & Master)daughter in law? Ya think Jackson or Loretta Garner might have a case pending..
There you go...good ole boy politics at it's finest!
WAB
Thanks for posting thesalaries!Julie Phillips who is just a receptionist is now making over
$45,000. How can Barry justify that??? She is making more than most of the bookkeepers in the county and has no responsibilities.
Give me a break!
There is not salary schedule that says what people in accounting deparments make county wide. Each department sets their own salary including the different offices at the courthouse. The school system with the exception of the head bookkeeper pay the lowest salaries. Mrs. Sigmon has been there over two years. You make it sound like two months. It is not an advantage to have a salaried job in the school system. The more you work the less you are getting paid for your hours worked. If you miss work and don't have sick or personal time to use you are docked for that so I don't get the advantage there! Who is Jackson talking about when he talks about absentees. I don't think anyone has been absent on his accounting group at least not more than the usual.
again who all is on the fin mgmt committee????
can't expect any better of county mayor
Barry Hyatt, Road Supt.
Tee Jackson, School Supt
Janet Vanzant, County Mayor
Are three of the members....explains alot...Doesn't It!!!
Hard to reprimand or stand up to yourself when you Know what you are doing is wrong!!!
The Financial Management Committee is made up of
County Executive Vanzant
School Director Tee Jackson
Highway Department Barry Hyatt
Commissioners Bill Holt, Robert Lee, Roger Reedy and Alan Faulkner. Financial Management director Loretta Garner is a non voting member.
By law the county executive, School Director, Highway Supervisor and Budget Committee Chairman are on the committee.
Commissioners Reedy and Faulkner were appointed by the County Executive and Commissioner Lee fills the spot left vacant by the resignation of a commissioner also appointed by Mrs Vanzant.
As you can see the committee is dominated by Mrs Vanzant and those obligated to her.
Following are the personnel in the financial management office, their position and their annual salaries rounded off.
Jenny Myers $26,000.00 Highway Purchase Orders and Ambulance Receipts.
Adrienne Braden $26,000.00 School Bookkeeper
Syndie Thornton $26,000.00 Ambulance Billing
Jamie Marks $28,500.00 General Fund Accounts Payable and Month End.
Glenda Biggs $35,000.00 General Fund Payroll.
Melanie White $44,500.00 School Bookkeeper, Accounts Payable and Month End.
Beth Sigmon $47,500.00 School Internal Auditor and Office Manager.
Loretta Garner $70,000.00 Director
Posted by Allen Barrett
OMG... are you people serious. You are defending a woman that makes $70,000.00 a year and bashing the middle class that makes 25,000-47,000 range. Since all documents are public record, can I see Loretta's resume. For the leaders of this war against middle class...
you should be ashamed... and have a little respect for the workers of our county... matter of fact Allen your a go getter... how about next to the list above lets put years of service and job duty discription!! All fair debates have complete facts!
There has been alot of speculation as to what Julie Phillips's is making now that she is the receptionist at the Highway Dept.
Could someone set the story straight? Did her salary and her benefits really stay the same after she chose to demote herself from bookkeeper to receptionist? If so, how can Barry, Janet, Loretta, or the commissiomner's justify this.
I work in the public sector and I know that when your job classification changes good or bad that your salary changes. Why is Julie Phillips being treated different. Some people are saying that it is "friendship with Barry Hyatt". I know Barry and Regina and if this is true how can Barry look Regina in the eye after embarrassing her with this kind of gossip. Barry needs to demote her like he would if she was a equipment operator that asked to be put on a dump truck. This is the same difference. The pay scale is different for each job classification. What does a receptionist in the county system make? That is what Julie should make.
Barry don't let FRIENDSHIP cause you to lose respect of your family, friends, and the county taxpayers. Do what is right and reclassify Julie and change her salary! Shoe the people that you care!
Julia Phillips salary remains at 45 thousand dollars a year even though her responsibilities are no where near what she once had.
And dont forget the benefits that go along with all the county slaraies - amounting to appox 1/3 of the annual salary.
Mr Barrett, I thought Loretta Garner was given a salary of $90,000 - am I wrong?
You are incorrect. Loretta's salary is $70,000. She would have taken a lesser salary but that was the that the Finance Committee agreed to before they knew who they would be hiring.
They already decided who they were going to hire as soon as they got the applications.
Someone said several posts back that wab has the "courage" to sign his name. What a joke! His ego wouldn't allow him to post anything anonymously. He loves the spotlight.
825 if you knew the difference between courage and ego someone might be interested in what you have to say, since you don't no one does.
8:25 A.M. What's your point and why is it posted here? What Mr. Barrett does or says is not the topic of this thread...Kinda sounds like your ego is the one that needs puffing a little, just had to spout off, but not quite brave enough to sign your name, are you? (and no, I am not either) Please stay on topic, not attack the posters
Your the joke 8:25. It is your non-progressive thinking and unwillingness to problem solve that has this county in the mess it is in today. You seem real intelligent(NOT)! Where on earth do you get that Allen Barrett's ego is his driving force? You can go back now and stick you head in the sand. Hope you don't suffocate though, it is highly unlikely Allen Barrett is wrong on this issue. However, if he is he will be the first to admit he was wrong. So, you have anything else intelligent to say?? Laughable!
And you expected something other than "illegal actions by the county executive"????? Why????? What past history do you have to expect something other than "illegal"???
Again, it's simply a matter of egotism and not courage. It's really not hard to understand and differentiate, particulary if you know how the "great one" struts about like a banty rooster expecting the masses to be impressed.
Have you noticed "The Queen" swishing around? Now I read she's supporting this sales tax increase. That woman sways back and forth depending on who she is talking to. If she wants to look good in the eyes of the voters by supporting this sales tax hike she didnnt do the right thing.
Have you also noticed that she don't attend any meetings without a police escort. Must think she is the president or governor instead of a witch from Lincoln County.
hehehe...that is true! Someone else just told me the other day that very same situation. What is she so afraid of? Maybe her fear is that someone might slap the TRUTH into her. I sure hope we are going to have some serious opposition at the next election.
With money supposedly so tight in the county why do we have to have a deputy at every meeting? What a waste of money. Its obvious when the sheriff asked for all that courthouse security, he truly didnt need it.
I believe the security at the courthouse was a state decision not county. I will admit that I could be wrong though.
Yes, its my understanding that direction came through the state, at least, that was what was presented by Ms Vanzant. However, was it MANDATED by the state? Perhaps Mr Barrett could answer that. In addition, what I'm saying and perhaps even suggesting is that we dont need as many deputies on duty at one time in the courthouse (not annex), they were supposed to be there to protect the courts. If we have excess deputies assigned to the courthouse, cant they be reassigned for patrol duty? Lord knowsm, we only have two for the whole county at night.
Then again, is the deputy present at every committee meeting Ms Vanzant attends there as her personal bodyguard? If thats the case, she should be paying for it herself. Some of you commissioners out there give an answer to this.
Under Tennessee Code Annotated 16-2-505(d)(2)
“Each county shall establish a court security committee composed of the county mayor, sheriff, district attorney general, the presiding judge of the judicial district, and a court clerk from the county to be designated by the presiding judge, for the purpose of examining such space and facilities to determine the security needs of the courtrooms in the county in order to provide safe and secure facilities”.
“Upon completion of the examination of security needs, the following procedure shall be followed: The administrative office of the courts shall distribute to each court security committee a copy of the minimum security standards as adopted by the Tennessee Judicial Conference, and each committee shall review and consider these standards in determining court security needs.
No later than May 15, each year, the court security committee shall report its findings to the county legislative body and the administrative office of the courts.
The county legislative body shall review and consider the recommendations of the court security committee in the preparation of the fiscal year 1995-96 budget and each budget subsequent.
No later than December 1, each year, the county legislative body shall report to the administrative office of the courts any action taken to meet the security needs.
No later than January 15, each year, the administrative office of the courts shall report to the general assembly on the compliance by each county government with the security needs established by the court security committee.
Any recommendation by the court security committee requiring county expenditures shall be subject to approval of the county legislative body.”
Clearly what was mandated by law was that a committee was to be established to access the “needs” and to report.” What the County Executive did was tell the commissioners that the state mandated the things she had determined prior to even having a security committee meet.
It has been on the County Executive’s word that a deputy must be in the annex for committee meetings, whereas this statute defines the purpose of the “committee” as examining the space and facilities provided to determine the security needs of the courtrooms in the county in order to provide safe and secure facilities.
The County Commissioners are to be reported to not later than May 15 each year by this committee and all actions requiring expenditures must be approved by the commissioners.
Not only have these deadlines not been met the committee has not met but once. The County Executive has simply chosen to ignore all the requirements for committee examination and commissioner oversight. She has simply taken unto herself the power to dictate and control the entire process and thus create her own personal security guard.
Allen Barrett
This personal security guard deale needs to be looked into my Kyle Helton. On top of this the commissioners are hollerin tax hike. Cant they see how all these things add up. Anyroad old Joe is always around protecting his woman. I would soon wrestle with a deputy than old Joe.
I understand that the security detail wasn't with the boss at the budget committee meeting Tuesday.
They musta read this blog and know they are being watched. Ole Joe was gettin in the hay.
Ole Joe ain't had nothing in the hay since '59 and that was a cow.
You got Julie and Barry at highway dept and Paula and Roy over at the ambulance service hey maybe the 4 of them can get together and double date!!! Paula makes pretty much what Julie does over at the ambulance service she pretty much answers the phone and types for roy. They either need to be at the fin mangement office or they need to make receptiontist pay. Talk about bleeding a county dry but who cares we don't need the sheriff's dept maybe we can lay all them off over there and fund Barry and Roy's need to keep there girls close!!!!
When is all this crazy spending going to end when this county goes broke!!!!
Again, I am wandering when this blog will strictly be about someone's job performance and not their personal life. For someone accusing Barry Hyatt of having a relationship with Julie is nothing but a lie and down right disrespectful and tacky. Barry LOVES his wife and if you ever see them together they are truely in love with each other. It's about time some of you stop pointing fingers at others. Nobody is perfect. Barry is an elected official and he is doing his job and if you have a problem with that then voice it thought how about you call him and talk to him but leave his personal life out of it. How would you feel if somebody wrote such awful things about your personal life? I do imagine that you would not be all that happy. The next time you decide to point your finger at someone's personal life you best know the facts and you may need to take a look at your own. Last time I checked this was a blog about elected official's job and use of tax payer's money not there personal life.
I understand there was a very long discussion at the last legislative committee about wearing hats in the courthouse. Could this actually be something that commissioners spent time on? If I remember right Vanzant can't keep control people parking motorcycles on the courthouse lawn but wants to control what a person wears on their head. What an amazing system we have.
anonymus..
Perhaps if this little group would get jobs they might not have as much time to hunt for something negative to say about others!
Anonymus Maybe if you were as smart as some in that group you wouldn't have to have a job. One thing that's clear is you can't be too smart if you continue to ignore all the evidence of crookedness, lying and plain old corruption that's taking place.
Let me repeat what has been said numerous times on this blog. If there's evidence of wrongdoings, turn it over to the proper authorites. Nobody appointed wab and his devoted followers judge, jury, and executioner.
To 5:28 Let me repeat what has been said numerous times on this blog, anonymous you are a stupid small mined cowardly person with the character of a snail and the thinking speed to match. Wab has done more for this county than you have ever even dreamed of doing except for your whining.
There you go calling me names because my thinking is not aligned with yours. And you would call me small-minded? Surely, you jest!
No one is calling you names because your thinking isn't in line with others it's because your thinking is so absent. You can only see things your way and will not even consider there may be others considerations involved. Your tunnel vision and short sightedness leaves you open to name calling, nothing else.
Post a Comment
<< Home