District 3 County Commissioner Mitch McClure told the Pachyderm Club on Monday that he supports the nine commissioners having $100,000 each per year for discretionary spending.
He said, "I'm in favor of it. I've been able to do some things out in the district that if we did not have this fund they might not get done."
The speaker mentioned a couple of projects at Big Ridge Elementary School brought to him by the principal. He said the school's science laboratory was outdated. He made a $5,000 donation of discretionary funds that helped buy Ipads and make the lab wireless.
He said, "The students now are able to confer with professors at Cornell University."
Another project at the school was to raise $25,000 to improve literacy. He said he offered a challenge gift of $10,000 if the PTA could raise that much. He said it did and the money was coupled with $5,000 in school funds and $10,000 from his fund.
He said since the principal was paying cash "she was able to negotiate for $50,000 worth of materials."
Another gift was $10,000 to put in four fire hydrants in an area of the county without hydrants.
He said he also contributed to the Hixson Youth Athletic 'Association.
Mr. McClure said his discretionary spending is listed on his website, http://mitchmcclure.com/ "and has been for a long time."
He said he is opposed to the state closing the Taft Youth Center, noting that Juvenile Court Judge Suzanne Bailey says it is the only juvenile facility to teach its inmates a trade.
He said local citizens need to appreciate the visitors to town and work to make more come. He said he recently had contact with a bass fisherman at a Hixson restaurant and that led to the holding of a bass convention this October with up to 500 attendees.