After reading on this subject of discretionary funding being returned to the Hamilton County general fund balance aka taxpayers, I see Commissioner Graham and - difficult to believe I am saying this -Mayor Coppinger best representing my interests as a taxpayer on this particular issue.
I also applaud the local media for reminding the voters of this money being spent outside of their districts as was the case of Mr. Bankston giving $10,000 to refurbish a plane in Commissioner Smedley's district. I sincerely believe and hope that Sabrena is an honest person and will give the benefit of the doubt that her first election to public office did not allow her to see how this donation from Mr. Bankston might appear suspicious in light of her and Mr. Boyd's recent committee assignments.
It appears as though Mr. Bankston is creating his own personal committee with Commissioners Fairbanks, Boyd, Smedley, Fields and Mackey as the lapdogs.
The summation of this matter is we have a spending problem commissioners and now quite possibly a quid pro quo - dangerous ground indeed. I once supported the discretionary funds, but it is and has become the "slush fund" we were once warned about.
Ron Ray
Lookout Valley
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OK enough is enough. As a veteran I am furious that politicians will seemingly have their constituents write in with false charges against honorable County Commissioners like Chester Bankston and Sabrena Smedley when they harbor ulterior motives.
If Commissioner Graham is upset because he was displaced as a member of the finance committee by the newly elected Commission Chairman Chester Bankston's Finance Chairman Tim Boyd, then I suggest that he and Mr. Ray both say so and stick to that issue, and not attack those that are spending their discretionary fund money to honor our fallen heroes. "Refurbishing an airplane" as was charged was not telling the whole story in order to besmirch the character of these two dedicated commissioners. The money contributed to the Collegedale Veterans Park is to pay to repaint a STATIC display aircraft donated to the park by the Navy, as well as contribute toward the $17,000 to erect a monument there to honor our five brave servicemen that were slaughtered by a terrorist killer in Chattanooga on July 16.
These discretionary fund contributions would also go to support the $8,000 spent to insure that new military and national flags are on display in the park each year.
If Commissioner Graham's constituent is really concerned about the discretionary fund expenditures, then I suggest he call his own commissioner and ask him why he spent some of his $100,000 portion of the funds after decrying that he would "return his portion". If Mr. Ray also wants to attack a commissioner, he should go after his own, who as a member of the River City Board, refused to recuse himself from voting for a PILOT giveaway to former Mayor Kinsey of several hundred thousand dollars to upgrade his private Choo Choo investment - a project that friends of the former mayor on the River City group had sponsored.
Former District 7 County Commissioner Larry Henry as an example used a portion of his Discretionary Funds to buy defibrillators for our schools. One of those defibrillators was eventually used that saved the life of a student in cardiac arrest.
The bottom line is that we the taxpayers,and in this case veterans, are sick and tired of half truths and lies being used by politicians to sway public opinion, especially when it is obviously personal. Keep us veterans out of it. Work with those who are supporting our veterans, not against them.
Bill Reesor
Ooltewah
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I was amused at Mr.Ray's take on the committee assignments for this year. I would suggest he look at last year's assignments. I went back and saw where Commissioner Fairbanks was chairman of the back tax collection committee. Commissioner Smedley was chairman of the diversity committee. We never heard any crying or complaining from these two.
It seems when Mr. Graham is on the committee he wants, it doesn't matter about his fellow commissioners. Now that his power base is gone he is alone and has to play in the big boy league.
The saddest part about this is the real losers are the people of District 6.
Richard Elrod
Ooltewah
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This issue drives me crazy and really makes me doubt the voting public.
Elected officials having discretionary funds is wrong on so many levels. It is so, so easy to see how this could be abused.
Yes, they have some success stories from their spending and I am very glad (more than glad) that a life was saved because of a defibrillator but; I have said before and repeat now; shouldn't all schools have defibrillators? Since when is a life-saving device for children "discretionary"? The County Commission should bring this as an agenda item and spend money on this countywide after a majority, affirmative vote, which is the way our tax dollars are supposed to be spent.
This money is raised through countywide taxes and our form of government is designed to have countywide representation. The body should vote on where our money is spent. That's why we have a County Commission. How would those who support this practice feel if we just divided the total county budget by nine and gave each commissioner a share to spend?
This latest example of money being spent by one commissioner in another commissioner's district and a plush committee assignment follows is just another example of how this could be abused, even if that's not what happened here.
Look at Walker County and see how well one commissioner having sole discretion on spending works out.
Jay Smithers