Former County Commission Chairman Larry Henry said prior commission chairmen would have let other commissioners know if there was to be a big jump in the commission budget.
Mr. Henry, who is now the Circuit Court clerk, responded after Vice Chairman Sabrena Smedley said he and former Chairman Fred Skillern routinely handled the office budget without conferring with other members.
The issue came up because current Chairman Randy Fairbanks has submitted a budget for the County Commission that is proposed to rise by $111,317 - going from $788,939 to $900,256.
The jump would be more than 14 percent.
Most of the budget is about the same as the current one - except for the category marked Travel Local. It is slated to go from $73,000 to $185,500.
Commissioners Joe Graham and Greg Martin have come out against the sharp increase and said they were not advised that was coming.
Mr. Henry said, "When Fred and I were chairman we would basically rely on the office administrator to draw up the budget, which were generally flat. There was usually very little change or increase so there was no need to confer with the other commissioners.
"I can tell you if we had had a big increase like this one that all eight commissioners would have known about it.
"We would not have blindsided them."
Former Chairman Skillern said the only time he knew of the commission raising its budget was when it added a third person in the office after much deliberation. He said it was decided later to go back to a two-person staff.
He said, "If there was an increase like is being discussed, the chairman would certainly have run it by the other eight commissioners."
Chairman Fairbanks said the reason for the requested increase would be explained at a county budget hearing on Tuesday at 9 a.m.