Commissioners say they are confident a budget will be produced on time
by John P. Boan/Times-Georgian
14 months ago | 960 views | 16 16 comments | 18 18 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Although the Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted a second time against Commission Chairman Bill Chappell’s 2009-2010 fiscal year budget on Tuesday, commissioners say they are hopeful the board can come together with the chairman and reach an agreement before the next fiscal year begins on July 1.

On Tuesday, not only did the board reject Chappell’s proposed budget for a second time — the first time was on June 9 — but it also rejected an amended budget banged out at a work session last Friday.

Like Chappell’s budget, the amended version drafted by the commissioners is balanced, and it increases the amount in the contingency fund by approximately $66,000. Also like the chairman’s version, the board’s budget calls for no tax increases and no raises for county employees.

The amended budget reinstates the positions of fire chief and E-911 director. Both were eliminated under Chappell’s budget, to be replaced by a new director of emergency services. The board’s budget eliminates the salary for this position as well as that for a county grant writer position, a job offered to recently-fired Fire Chief Gary Thomas. Thomas and E-911 Director Debra Lanier were fired by Chappell just over a month ago in an effort to combine the two departments.

The reason the commissioners failed to pass the budget they amended last Friday was not so much based on the budget itself as it was on the resolution that was attached.

There is some question about the authority of the office of the chairman noted in the resolution, and for a variety of reasons, the members of the commission said they did not feel comfortable voting for the resolution in its current form.

“My hope is that the chairman will work with us. But we’ll have a budget. I’m not worried about that. It’s the resolution that’s hanging us up,” said Commissioner Ashley Hendrix. “We would hope that we can get to some consensus with our budget. All in all, it’s pretty much Bill’s budget with some small changes.”

For legal reasons, the commissioners said they could not go into the specific parts of the resolution that needed to be changed, though Commissioner Vicki Anderson said if it was at all possible, the board should vote on a budget without an attached resolution whatsoever. At the moment, though, she said Chappell’s insistence on keeping the commissioners in the dark on the budgetary process is making all compromise difficult.

“I think the chairman has decided he’s not going to communicate with us in regard to the budget. I would hope in the next bit that we would be able to reach some kind of an agreement so that, even if he doesn’t communicate with us, at least we have a budget and a resolution that match each other,” Anderson said. “It looks like a lot of the verbage in the resolution has been copied or taken from the charter, and there’s the question of why that needs to be there at all.”

According to County Clerk Susan Mabry, the attached resolution has in the past noted how the county will use the tax from insurance premiums. Aside from minor changes, the resolution is basically the same as it has been since 2002.

Even then, said Commissioner Kevin Jackson, the resolution as it stands is unacceptable, and before a budget can be passed, he said, it’ll need to see some major changes. But in the end, he said, the board will put together a budget, and any fears that the county may go without a budget into the month of July are unwarranted.

“No, I don’t agree with the resolution,” he said. “I don’t want to see people panic, though. This is a difficult task with a brand new board. We’ve still got some time left to get a new budget, and I think that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
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comments (16)
« kellybuiceharris wrote on Friday, Jun 19 at 10:24 PM »
To: dpc

If one advises another to use proofreading features, be willing to take a little of your own advise. YOURSELF is one word and GRAMMAR does not have an E in it.
« carrollconative wrote on Friday, Jun 19 at 02:01 PM »
Sounds like Are-you-kidding needs to do a little more research before posting.

1st Winning an election does not constitute a mandate for the chair commission to govern over his co-commissioners.

2nd Chappell is just as much an amateur commissioner as any of the new district commissioners. The citizens who voted for ANY of the commissioners expect them to govern, afterall, that is what the positions are for.

3rd (a)Your comment "it really does require some brains and some prior business/management experience to govern intelligently" speaks volumes about Chappell's abilities or more like the lack thereof. He has been running a news paper for several years and has not been able to obtain enough subscribers so he is forced to throw his papers in peoples driveways to get his "word' to the people. Most people don't even bother to pick them up. Look around the next time you are around Rome and Brown Street. You will see numerous wads laying in driveways and yards. (b) Look this up it is available to the public. William J. Chappell filed bankruptcy 05-11-90 and 10-20-92. At least one of these was his business, and you think this gives him prior business/management experience skills sufficient to manage Carroll County. I think you must have bumped your head just before entering your post.
« leapfrog35 wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 10:09 PM »
Are you kidding? and Embarrassed&disgusted::::: should be embarrased and disgusted with what you choose to post. 1st of all this article made no mention of the commissioners raising their pay in the revised budget that THEY wrote last Friday, since the Chairman didn't want to be involved. As a matter of fact, it was written in the paper that they proposed to save the county over $66,000 than what the Chairman had proposed..so how did they give themselves a raise? It appears to me that the district commissioners are earning every penny they get paid by having to fight the Chairman on every little thing that he feels he is entitled to do and not having to answer to anyone. Your comments made about the other commissioners was only to deflect the negativity that the Chairman is getting(which in my opinion is rightly deserved). As far as the budget goes, it looks to me that if the Chairman would meet the commissioners half way and take out the clause refering to eliminating the county ordinance that states we must have a fire chief(so he could justify the firing of Chief Thomas) and settle it at a later date, then the budget would probably pass.
« Are-you-kidding? wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 09:06 PM »
You yokels miss my point! A full-time Chairman elected in every precinct in Carroll County twice in 12 months has a mandate to govern over 4 District Commisisoners elected most recently! The majority of voters in all of Carroll County expect the Chairman to govern! That's why he was elected. You four part-time District amateur Commissioners have no mandate to do anything but show up once a month to collect your $562.69 for doing nothing!
« C'towndawg wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 08:17 PM »
Are-you-kidding, your obvious lack of knowledge makes you come across as a complete idiot. Please try and gather a little information before running your mouth next time. Their names are Ashley and Vicki. Ashley won without a runoff and Kevin and George won by comparable margins to King Bill. Here is something else you should educate yourself on. RECALL!
« CarrollCharter wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 08:12 PM »
Are you kidding and larry, better known as Roscoe and Enos, puppets of the puppeteer Boss Hogg. Tim Clark you keep up the good work buddy and togther with the moral citizens of Carroll County we will rid this county of these moonshiners.
« Are-you-kidding? wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 04:30 PM »
Kevin Jackson proves any 11th grade drop-out idiot can run for District Commissioner and get lucky in being elected; however, Kevin, George and the two girls are suddenly finding out it really does require some brains and some prior business/management experience to govern intelligently. Last Friday afternoon's "work session" was a joke at best and micro-managing/meddling at its worst! Talk about petty egos! You greedy gang of four need to remember something important; each of you was damn lucky to barely win your district elections BUT the Chairman has won county-wide twice in 12 months! That constitutes a mandate to govern! Perhaps you should be following the lead of your Chairman and quit acting like a bunch of fools!
« larrylarry wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 03:31 PM »
dpc....I think our esteemed commish might be both CC and the the KJ guy. For a while, I thought tht CC might be good ole mr. clark, but this site seems to functioning much too well for him to have any fingerprints on it.
« dpc wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 02:02 PM »
Ok Kevin(CC)quit posting about your self, And KJ1960 "SO DUMB" please use spell and grammer check. Keep up the good work Bill and John
« KJ1960 wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 01:03 PM »
Embarrassed&disgusted and Are-you-kidding?.. AKA Chappell's people. Embarrassed&disgusted you started in on Mr. Jackson's education, your name really says a lot about this statement. I have never met Mr. Jackson, but I do love the idea that he has morals (something you don't) and is standing up for what is right! I also like that a blue-collar person is a commissioner and can relate to the common person. Don't go anywhere I'm not done with you.....yet!

Are-you-kidding? Another great blog name, very fitting. Are you kidding about the statement you made about were Mr. Jackson works and what he does for a living?? This tells me a lot about your character; kind of sounds like a statement Chappell would make, which of course is were all of this is coming from. But let’s not forget the next time your power goes off, who will be the first person you are looking for. I just hope that the guys at EMC and GA Power are smart enough to find your house and not get lost, since according to you they are all dumb!

NOW YOU TWO STARTED IT, so now I'm going to finish it!!! You want to bring up what level of education Mr. Jackson has and what he does for a living. So can either of you two tell me which one of the two commissioners (Wilson or North) was SO DUMB that they had to bring there wife to one of the meetings so that she could tell them what was going on!!! That commissioner was a hand picked Chappell person from the beginning. If you need a hint here you go; he has voted with Chappell on everything!!

« CarrollCharter wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 11:49 AM »
The gang of four, oh, wait a minute I got confused, sorry I was thinking about the Gentlemans club, you know Chappell, Garner, Coleman and Gray, Anyways 1 down and 3 to go. I am so glad of the gang of four. Thank you citizens for voting for these four moral individuals who care about our county, who has worked their way to the top via good citizenship unlike the idiot that ran under a republican banner to get elected. Chappell has approximately 10 actual supporters, the rest are simply kicking themselves now because they voted not for Chappell but for the republican candidate. Or like me, did not vote at all cause I did not want to be held responsible for ruining my county with and idiot. Too bad "Kevin Jackson" is not the Chairman, we would actually have a budget and a decent moral place to live. By the way let me give credit to Vicky Anderson: this woman decided not to lay with the dogs and removed herself from the flea riddin yard of this dictator Chairman. Thanks Mrs Anderson for recognizing the difference between right and wrong.
« CarrollCharter wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 11:35 AM »
Are you kidding- are you kidding you just made a statement about commissioner raises- where is your proof? you are just like the New York times making unfounded statements or to put it simply: Lying. Provide the proof.

Embarrased- I would be embarrased and ashamed if I supported an evil tyrant. The four moral commissioners stayed at the friday session to work on the budget, you know the one where your big fat baby Chairman took his toys and went home cause they did not give him his way. Your idiot chairman came back with the same freakin budget he had that got voted down last week. Is this guy stupid or legally dumb. The object of the work session is to work on the budget which I see he was not concerned about. Ha Ha Ha finally we have a Board with Balls to stand up to this Barney Fife Chairman, finally. Remember Commissioners even the communist have a few people who rant and rave in ignorance. Please excuse these people because Chappell may be threatening their jobs too if they dont say good things about him. You people are full of hot air your statements are like pissing in a fan. Go ahead and rave on the normal thinking citizen can see right through you. Hey based on your statements, I bet one of you guys are that little gray haired Chappell shadow that writes for his paper and tries to pick fights in the parking lot with real reporters.

« CarrollCharter wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 11:19 AM »
Chappell has been paying people to go on here and post comments opposing the majority of the board again I see. Get out from under your rock Chappell quacks and quit getting your info from the Carroll Star news. Kevin Jackson is one of the moral commissioners serving with integrity. The three groups are: Moral group consist of KJ, AH,VA,GC, FlipFLop group is Wilson and North (who has never returned 4 phone calls and 7 emails), then the pure evil group of Bill Chappell. Write on people, this is not the first time the Devil had a following. Cannot believe you guys are ignorant enough to follow this ignoramous. You guys would make great North Korean citizens. Since you are writing inflammatory remarks, let me ask if you guys are lined up for one of his buddy job openings in the County. Sounds like it to me. Kevin Jackson let me thank you for being a great American citizen and using American values to stop this idiot dictator and his cronies. Good Job. KJ- good always wins in the end.
« Are-you-kidding? wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 08:48 AM »
Is that what this is all about? Kevin Jackson and three other Commissioners wasted over 3 hours last Friday shuffling budget numbers in order to secretly double their Commissioner's paycheck. Kevin Jackson should be ashamed of himself if the only reason he ran for District Commissioner is to double the Commissioner's pay to supplement his earnings as a pole climber at EMC!
« Embarrassed&disgusted wrote on Thursday, Jun 18 at 07:52 AM »
The gang of four (Jackson-Chambers-Anderson & Hendrix) won't be happy and WILL NOT vote for Chappell's budget until they get a pay raise!!!! These four servants of the people are really nothing but greedy grubbing grandstanders!!! The recall petitions should actually be against these Greedy Four! Kevin Jackson thinks he's so smart even though he dropped out of the 11th grade at Central High and couldn't even pass a simple GED Test. Well Mr.Big Boy, the voters are smarter than you and you will be turned out faster than you can spell R-E-C-A-L-L!
« carrollconative wrote on Wednesday, Jun 17 at 09:32 PM »
The following are excerpts from Georgia Law on Local Government Budgets. While it is a lot to read it should clear up many questions many have on who has what authority. Please note the frequent use of the word "proposed" budget. I found 36-81-6 is especially interesting.

36-81-2. Definitions

(1) "Budget" means a plan of financial operation embodying an estimate of proposed expenditures during a budget period and the proposed means of financing them.

(2) "Budget officer" means that local government official charged with budget preparation and administration for the local government. (CHAIRMAN)

(9) "Fiscal year" means the period for which a budget is proposed or a budget ordinance or resolution is adopted for the local government's general fund, each special revenue fund, if any, and each debt service fund, if any.

(12) "Governing authority" means that official or group of officials responsible for governance of the unit of local government. For Carroll County this is the members of our BOARD of COMMISSIONERS.

READ THIS ONE CAREFULLY.

(14) "Legal level of control" means the lowest level of budgetary detail at which a local government's management or budget officer may not reassign resources without approval of the governing authority. The legal level of control shall be, at a minimum, expenditures for each department for each fund for which a budget is required. This does not preclude the governing authority of a local government from establishing a legal level of control at a more detailed level of budgetary control than the minimum required legal level of control.

36-81-5. Preparation of proposed budget; submission to governing authority; public review of proposed budget; notice and conduct of budget hearing.

(a) By the date established by each governing authority (BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS), in such manner and form as may be necessary to effect this article, and consistent with the local government's accounting system, the budget officer (CHAIR COMMISSIONER) shall prepare a proposed budget for the local government for the ensuing budget period.

(b) The proposed budget shall, at a minimum, be an estimate of the financial requirements at the legal level of control for each fund requiring a budget for the appropriate budget period and shall be in such form and detail, with such supporting information and justifications, as may be prescribed by the budget officer or the governing authority (BOARD of COMMISSIONERS). The budget document, at a minimum, shall provide, for the appropriate budget period, a statement of the amount budgeted for anticipated revenues by source and the amount budgeted for expenditures at the legal level of control. In accordance with the minimum required legal level of control, the budget document shall, at a minimum, provide a statement of the amount budgeted for expenditures by department for each fund for which a budget is required. This does not preclude the governing authority (BOARD of COMMISSIONERS) of a local government from preparing a budget document or establishing a legal level of control at a more detailed level of budgetary control than the minimum required legal level of control.

(d) On the day that the proposed budget is submitted to the governing authority (BOARD of COMMISSIONERS) for consideration, a copy of the budget shall be placed in a public location which is convenient to the residents of the unit of local government.

(h) Nothing in this Code section shall be deemed to preclude the conduct of further budget hearings if the governing body deems such hearings necessary and complies with the requirements of subsection (e) of this Code section.

36-81-6. Adoption of budget ordinance or resolution; form of budget.

(a) On a date after the conclusion of the hearing required in subsection (f) of Code Section 36-81-5, the governing authority (BOARD of COMMISSIONERS) shall adopt a budget ordinance or resolution making appropriations in such sums as the governing authority may deem sufficient, whether greater or less than the sums presented in the proposed budget. The budget ordinance or resolution shall be adopted at a public meeting which shall be advertised in accordance with the procedures set forth in subsection (e) of Code Section 36-81-5 at least one week prior to the meeting.