County Commissioners this month are using discretionary funds to, among other things, help launch the Birchwood Regional Centre and buy a bugle for a Soddy Daisy veterans group.
Chairman Chester Bankston said $5,900 from his $100,000 annual allotment will help the Birchwood group get on its feet.
Vice Chairman Randy Fairbanks said the Soddy Daisy Veterans Foundation has to borrow a bugle for events so he was providing $500 from his discretionary funds.
Warren Mackey of District 4 is giving $3,000 to "A Night To Remember" and $5,000 to the Front Porch Alliance.
Tim Boyd is furnishing $2,500 to the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults.
Sabrena Smedley is providing $10,000 to the Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation for its Collegedale Commons project.
County Mayor Jim Coppinger tried to eliminate the $900,000 item from the county budget. However, his veto was overridden by a majority of the commission.
Since then, all of the discretionary spending has appeared under resolutions at the commission meetings.