Mrs. Garner the Financial Management Director For The County Officially Handed In Her Resignation Yesterday

I had been committed to not comment on this matter until it was made public. From the phone calls and postings to this blog it has obviously become public information.
On Thursday morning Mrs. Garner, under pressure, submitted her official letter of resignation to the County Executive and Financial Management Committee.
A Financial Management Committee meeting has been scheduled for next Friday morning where the letter will be discussed and, as it stands at this moment, will be accepted. Such things as unused vacation and sick time must be dealt with and the current budget must have decisions made about it. 
This action comes primarily as a result of inappropriately by-passing the County Legislative Body when dipping heavily into the Hospital Funds and a million and a half dollar mess in the School Budget.

 While I have been a very vocal critic of Mrs Garner's leadership, I have always found her to be a very nice friendly lady and I wish her well, I have continued to believe that the problem is not hers alone and that the County Executive and Director of Schools have an equal if not greater responsibility in this matter.  

I strongly believe that the county must have an independent audit of all it's finances long before any talk of a tax increase or wheel tax can be seriously considered. I believe, at this moment no one has a real clue as to what the situation actually is with county finances. In my opinion the relationship between some state auditors and the county has resulted in a complete breakdown of financial discipline. I also believe that much of the problem at the school system is the result of conscious efforts to have the school system removed from under Financial Management control.

Also From The Budget Committee This Morning

I am posting this separately as it contains commentary along with the item.  

It was stated that mid to late June would be the time for county departments to present their budget request. This is way past the time set by the state but no objections were raised. 


It was also stated that a resolution would be presented at the Commission Meeting Monday, for a continuing budget through 31 July 2012.
The interesting thing about this is that once again the budget will be presented and passed at the last second just as last year. If you remember last year, the County Executive refused to allow a resolution for a continuing budget through August choosing instead to tell commissioners and the public that if the budget wasn't passed that day the Ambulance Service and Rescue Squad would be unable to continue past that day and all the county employees would not be paid and their insurance would be cancelled. 


One thing that was not discussed in the meeting this morning is the one and a half million dollars that was misspent in the school budget. I believe this will be used by those opposed to the Financial Management Act of 1981, to have the school funds moved back to the school system and out of the Financial Management office. This problem is not the result of the Financial Management Act of 1981 but of the lack of strong management skills by the director, interference by the county executive and some who have sought to sabotage this program since it's inception. 
Until there is a strong, competent, independent director of Financial Management their will continue to be problems with the county finances.  

From The Budget Committee Meeting This Morning

Item One: 
It was announced this morning than a new $11,725,000.00 development will begin soon at the corner of Highway 64 and the By-pass, in the area behind the Bank of Frankewing and to the side and behind Walmart. The development will include a Hampton Inn Motel, and a Sports Bar Restaurant among several retail outlets. The developer, David Hunt, is in the midst of a project in Fayetteville, Tn. and has scheduled this project to start as soon as that one is in the dry. 
The developer is asking for Tax Increment Financing from the city/county. This is not a new program and is used in many places thus enabling local development officials to collect the property tax revenue from the increased assessments of that property to pay for it.  Basically instead of the increased property tax money being paid to the city/county general funds it's paid for the project for the designated number of years, in this case 15 years was mentioned. This allows the city/county to have no financial investment or obligation to the project while enjoying the benefits from increased sales taxes and employment. It's a win win for the developer and for the community.



Item Two:
It was reported that state auditors had examined the current water project at the interstate and decided that it is "unlike any other project in the state". They have decided, apparently due to more time than activities that the project must be ,moved from a "Capitol Project Fund" to a "State Agency Fund". As I said more time on their hands than activities to keep them busy.