The Blount County Board of Commissioners passed two multi-million dollar resolutions to enter into agreements to acquire property in conjunction with the cities of Alcoa and Maryville on Thursday. A capacity crowd attended the meeting, with the majority vovaly and visibly opposed to one or both proposals. A resolution authorizing the county to make an $8 million investment as part of an estimated $20 million effort for the Industrial development Board to attempt to purchase 162 acres of the former ALCOA South Plant passed on a 19-2 vote. A resolution for the county to contribute $5 million towards an $11 million agreement with the cities and TDOT for the purchase of right-of-way for the Pellissippi Parkway Extension passed on a 14-7 margin.
On question raised regarding practice of budget resolutions arriving before workshop without a sponsor, a procedure questioned during the workshop session on July 9 for the South Plant resolution, which was one of seven resolutions considered by the Budget Committee without sponsors, but the only one questioned.
“One issue that’s been raised is the question of resolutions coming to the Budget Committee without sponsors. As commissioners well know, this has been practice as far back as I can remember, and probably as far back as any of you can remember. That’s the way it’s been done.The reason for that is you look at Rule 9 of the commission rules it discusses budget request for amendment or appropriation coming before the Budget Committee. Those are submitted to the Budget Committee directly, understand that those are not filed by the Clerk’s office, those are filed through the Budget Committee process. Typically sponsors are added in accordance with custom and accordance with the rules through that process. Following Rule 9, a recommendation is issued by the Budget Committee and then the accompanying resolution to those amendments are then presented to the commission workshop. That’s discussed in the last part of Rule 9. And them we flip over to Rule 6, it is contemplated in TCA 5.12.213, which is the Local Budgeting Act of 1993 that those amendments are going to be discussed by the Budget Committee and then sent forward. It doesn’t mention sponsors. It mentions requests for amendment or appropriations.” — Jared Anderson, board chairman, Seat 5-A…