Information has been spreading throughout Collegedale claiming that massive overspending has been taking place in the city. To counter the claim, spokesperson Bridgett Raper issued a statement that contended that those claims are “absolutely not true.”
In his campaign for a seat on Collegedale’s commission, candidate Matthew Sadler has posted information on his website that says the city consistently overspends its budget and in 2019-2020 was $945,000 over budget despite a property tax increase.
The campaign material claims that the commissioners have made little effort to keep spending under control and that they have no involvement in creating the budget.
A city’s budget is a projection of revenue and expenses which is really an estimate, said Ms. Raper in her statement. Throughout each year, unexpected expenditures occur and unanticipated revenue is received that is not known of at the time the budget is created. Spending is approved throughout the year by the commission and a budget amendment is made to reconcile the changes that have taken place at the end of the year. Independent auditors conduct audits twice annually, she said and the results are reviewed by the commissioners. “We are in a very strong financial position,” she stated.
During the commission meeting on Monday night, Mr. Sadler spoke during the time set aside for citizens’ communication. He asked Mayor Katie Lamb if the Raper statement was directed toward his campaign. “I don’t know if it was directly to you," she said. There’s been a lot of things said throughout the community we were trying to correct.”
“Will you admit that you were in a meeting with the city manager, assistant city manager and Ms. Draper during working hours, drafting that response?" asked Mr. Sadler.
“ I don’t know if it matters who was involved,” responded the mayor. “We put some ideas down and it was written outside of the building.”
“Then you wouldn’t consider that was political activity, that Collegedale employees were engaging in during city time?” asked Mr. Sadler.
“I do not, because we were correcting things said in response to the city,” said Mayor Lamb who then asked City Attorney Sam Elliott to weigh in.
"I think that putting out correct information is always a good thing to do," said the attorney.
In the business portion of the meeting, the commissioners approved a closeout change order for a construction project on Prospect Church Road. More rock than had been anticipated was run into during the work and two isolation valves on each side of the crossing had to be added. The additional work increased the cost by 10 percent.
"I hate to approve the change order," said Commissioner Ethan White while asking what would happen if the commissioners did not give approval? Because the work was completed prior to getting approval from the commissioners, it is like being held hostage, he said. It is becoming a trend. Attorney Elliott said that rock and the need for valves were both unanticipated, so that kind of work can only be estimated. After all discussion, the change order was approved unanimously.
Another decision was approved to change vendors for Bioxide Solution, a product that is used for odor control and corrosion in the sewer system. The city of Chattanooga is changing vendors, and Collegedale will piggy-back on their price which will save the city 12 percent or $.31 per gallon.
Discussion also took place about a Haunted Barn on McDonald Road that is opened on Friday and Saturday nights from 7 p.m. until midnight through October. Mayor Lamb said she had received two complaints during the first week it has been opened concerning noise that continues past midnight.
Commissioner Phil Garver, who could hear the noise last weekend, said, “It sounds like a lot of fun to me.” He said he believes that the operators of the annual event depend on it to survive, and that the city has allowed it to take place for the past 20 years.
The attorney will review the noise ordinance and let the police decide how to handle it. A suggestion was to notify the business and request for them to quiet it down.