Two-thirds of the Hamilton County Commission owe us an explanation as to why they feel it appropriate to take $900,000 of our money out of savings to spend on whatever suits their fancy, oversight be darned.
Those six commissioners are: Randy Fairbanks (D-1), Jim Fields (D-2), Warren Mackey (D-4), Sabrena Turner-Smedley (D-7), Tim Boyd (D-8), and Chester Bankston (D-9).
I’ll go out on a limb and make a prediction: No such explanation will be forthcoming, at least not one that amounts to anything more than lip service.
To the voters of the aforementioned districts: I urge you to remember this when May 2018 rolls around. We have no choice to opt out of paying taxes, which is all the more reason why the county commissioners have not only an obligation, but a duty to us to use our money in a responsible manner. Myself included, people always complain about the problems with elected officials in Washington. Those problems cannot and will not be fixed until the ones at the local levels are addressed. Make it a priority to make your voice heard in the most effective way possible: Vote them out. As Roy Exum stated, “No where else in the state does such an abuse of taxpayer money take place so openly.” As long as the six commissioners referenced above are allowed to openly disregard their constituents’ wishes, they will continue to do exactly that. Vote them out and send a message to their replacements: Represent us like responsible adults, or don’t get comfortable.
It scares and disgusts me to know that two-thirds of our County Commission think that this is okay. The fact that a precedent exists with these discretionary funds does not even begin to excuse their decision to continue such a gross miscarriage of public office. All it does is show us that they are incapable of learning from past mistakes. Or perhaps they choose not to learn from those mistakes. Either way, they’re incompetent or irresponsible. Regardless of which adjective you want to go with, their true colors have shown that they’re unfit to hold public office.
To Commissioners Haynes, Beck, and Graham: I urge you to refuse the combined $300,000 discretionary funds allotted to you, and return it to savings. Please continue to lead by example. Eventually, others just may follow suit.
Dallas Cole
Hixson
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I would also like Mr. Cole to finish his comments that our county mayor also has over $4 million in his discretionary fund. He never asked that he give that back to the treasury. I wonder why not? Let’s tell the whole truth/story here.
Richard L. Elrod
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There is more to the story than just six commissioners voting to put their discretionary fund back in the budget.
First off I would bet that those who did not vote for it will still use it. There have been a lot of things done with that money over the years to make improvements around the county. Why not ask the commission to publish what that money has gone to fund over the past four years.
The mayor has slashed the budget in a lot of areas but more so when it comes to the sheriff’s budget than any other area.
If it takes six commissioners standing up against the mayor and his back room dealings, then all I can say is well done commissioners.
Mike Cox