During a recent meeting of the Hamblen County Finance Committee, members approved a change order valued at $3,483 for the county’s future Health Department Complex located on Buffalo Trail. The change order will fund the hiring of an equipment operator and address cleanup needs related to concrete and rebar from the previous Food City store, where cooling units were installed. County Mayor Chris Cutshaw emphasized that the funds will be directed towards necessary repair work on the facility’s floor.
“This was previously presented to us, but this is the actual change order,” Cutshaw explained. The committee voted unanimously, passing the measure with a 10-0 decision for consideration by the full Commission on January 22.
Discussion on County Contracts Follows Approval
Following the approval of the change order, the committee engaged in an open discussion regarding the county’s contract approval procedures. Mayor Cutshaw and Commissioner Thomas Doty led the conversation, which focused on a long-standing practice that permits the county mayor to approve smaller contracts with terms shorter than one year without prior commission approval.
Doty noted that this procedure, which has been in place for several years, allows the mayor to sign short-term contracts and subsequently inform the commission. “It’s been the County Mayor’s prerogative,” he said, pointing out that this practice predates Cutshaw’s tenure.
While some commissioners expressed concerns regarding potential micromanagement of the mayor’s office, Doty suggested a vote of “good faith” to acknowledge that the mayor has been operating within established protocols. “There has to be some level of trust that allows the mayor’s office to operate on these short-time contracts,” he stated.
Cutshaw agreed with Doty’s assessment, clarifying that the county had sought guidance from the County Technical Assistance Services. The consultation revealed that while the Tennessee Code does not explicitly authorize such actions, it also does not prohibit them.
“I don’t have a problem if the county wants to change the way it has been operating,” Cutshaw remarked. “Moving forward, we can change how we operate. I don’t have a problem with that, not at all.” The commission is set to further discuss the contract approval process at its upcoming meeting this Thursday.