Fri
Mar 25 2011
12:24 pm
Quist supports bringing fee offices under budget
By: R. Neal

Press release:

Circuit Court Clerk support transparency in budget process

Knoxville, Tenn.- Knox County Circuit Court Clerk Cathy Quist today announced that, after studying the proposal to bring fee offices under budget, she believes that the resolution before commission truly is about transparency and accountability for Knox County taxpayers. She is happy to join Trustee John Duncan and Clerk Foster Arnett in supporting the proposal before commission.

"The public deserves nothing less than full transparency and accountability and a funding process that is unified across all of county government," Quist said. "I appreciate the efforts of Chairman Hammond and Commissioners Briggs and McKenzie for bringing this proposal to the table, we well as Mayor Burchett's leadership in supporting this measure. I hope commission votes to approve this resolution Monday."

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Mello's picture

Does the mayor just need to tap his heels???

Submitted by Mello on Fri, 2011/03/25 - 3:34pm.

I pulled this out of the charter-(emphasis mine)

The head of each County department or County office, including constitutional officers, shall, upon request, furnish to the Mayor in a form specified by the Mayor:

(1) estimates of the revenues and expenditures of the department or office for the ensuing fiscal year and/or balance of the current fiscal year,

(2) estimates of the costs of any capital improvements pending or proposed to be undertaken (i) within the ensuing fiscal year and (ii) within the four (4) fiscal years immediately thereafter, and

(3) such other information as the Mayor requests.

B.
All constitutional officers shall submit their budgets to the Mayor no later than May 1 of each and every year. The Mayor shall submit a consolidated budget to the Commission.

C.
All offices or departments which receive appropriations from County Government shall utilize such appropriations strictly in accordance with the applicable provisions of the budget as finally approved or amended; provided, however, upon the recommendation of the chief elected administrative officer of the unit or department, or if none, the Mayor, the Commission may provide for approval of transfers between line items within the budget of offices or departments. The chief elected administrative officer of the unit or department, or if none, the Mayor, shall affirmatively certify that such transfer will not impair the necessary functions or operations of the office(s) or department(s). Capital appropriations shall not be altered or varied except with the approval of the Commission by resolution. No appropriation shall be reduced below the level required either by law or by bond covenants.

It seems to me he can now request line item budget proposals the way counties which operate under the acts of 1957, 1981 or 1993 do.

rikki's picture

That pretty much settles it.

Submitted by rikki on Fri, 2011/03/25 - 4:44pm.

That pretty much settles it. Fee offices submit budgets to the Mayor, Mayor consolidates it all into a single budget for Commission.

Thanks for looking that up, Mello. You should invoice Joe Jarret for your time.

rikki's picture

this requires me to give

Submitted by rikki on Fri, 2011/03/25 - 10:58pm.

this requires me to give Burchett credit for something

Actually, no. Burchett thinks the fee offices should be accountable, which is true, but he is not the one trying to take the reins. Commission is trying to reign. The Charter says Burchett HAS the reins and has until May 1 to get the necessary figures from the fee offices and submit them with his general county budget.

You owe the Charter credit and Burchett none. Jarret needs to tell Commission the Charter lays this all out quite clearly, and Burchett needs to get the figures from the rest of county government and combine it all into one budget, the school budget excepted.

Mello's picture

Line item budget stuff

Submitted by Mello on Sat, 2011/03/26 - 9:57am.

The mayor's departments have their budgets presented as line items in a budget amendment. The sheriff's department likewise as required by state law. There is nothing stopping the mayor from asking for and presenting the fee offices the same way.

That does not change the money situation in the fee offices. What I can't find in either the Private Acts or the Charter is why these offices do their banking this way. Can someone point that out, please.

cubedoctor's picture

Damn inefficient

Submitted by cubedoctor on Fri, 2011/03/25 - 9:53pm.

This could be the most important issue for Knox County this group of commissioners will vote on in their political career.

These fee offices collect $21,000,000 a year at a cost of $16,900,000. Damn inefficient and accountable to no one. They usually turn their revenue in just before an election. With a budget and submitting revenues monthly Knox County could easily put an extra $2,000,000 or more in the general fund every year.

Mello's picture

maybe, maybe not

Submitted by Mello on Fri, 2011/03/25 - 10:41pm.

The thing is, if they get line item budgets approved by the Commission, they will get more than they need. No doubt about it. Then next year they 'turn back' the unused funds to the cheers of the citizens who will congratulate and re-elect those officer holders for 'saving' the county money.

SamIAm's picture

I wonder what changed Quist's

Submitted by SamIAm on Sun, 2011/03/27 - 1:29pm.

I wonder what changed Quist's mind? I think it's the right thing to do, regardless. Why shouldn't there be a consistant budget process for all of county gov't?

I read on another blog that some commissioners supporting this resolution have been getting phone calls threatening them if they vote for this resolution. That's sad, and, more importantly, possibly criminal. Someone needs to look into that. But, since it's republicans, no one will, I'm sure.

Mello's picture

Mayor talks about budget v fee systems on TTW

Submitted by Mello on Tue, 2011/03/29 - 9:27am.

TTW

I am still convinced the sticking point in this is the employment of deputies and assistants by the fee office holders.
Under the budget system these fee officials should show how many employees at level X they will employ and how much that cost. Then they show how many employees at levels Y and Z and those totals.
After the commission approves the budget the fee office holders and the mayor enter into a written agreement on those same employees. That then gets filed with the Chancery Court or whatever court. If they need to later add employees then yes, they will have to go to Commission for permission to increase those budget lines.

It is those Letters of Agreement or MOUs which are legally filed that give the fee officers the power to do any hiring at all once they go under the budget system.

All this opposition by fee office holders makes me think there is something else at stake. So, what is it?

Are they thinking the Commission will cut their employment levels? Well, there's an app for that if commission tries.

It is all at Michie under 8-20-101

rikki's picture

I'm not sure I understand

Submitted by rikki on Tue, 2011/03/29 - 9:46am.

I'm not sure I understand this issue. It seems like the Charter obligates the trustee, register, sheriff, etc to do what Commission is asking. In other words, Commission shouldn't even have to ask. The Mayor should simply assert his authority under the Charter and insist Ballard, Arnett, Witt, Duncan and Jones have their budgets on his desk by May 1.

The court clerks have not typically been listed as "constitutional officers," and they might be able to argue that they are part of the judicial branch. However, Quist has consented to submitting a budget to the Mayor. There doesn't seem to be a rational basis to who is for or against this.

Mello's picture

Charter v state laws

Submitted by Mello on Tue, 2011/03/29 - 10:05am.

The charter can not be less than or in direct opposition to state law. Correct? So the sheriff and the school board budget process more or less follow state law regardless of the charter. If this is all true, take those two out of the picture.

Yes, I agree the Mayor simply should demand those budgets of the remaining fee offices on his desk, in detail, following all state comptroller assigned budget codes and categories including fees and memberships that the office is paying for.

The problem is the right to hire deputies and assistants.

Under the Budget System, the right to hire ( including salary to be paid ) is separate from budgeting the money to hire employees.

Where in the Charter do these offices get this right? It appears to me that what I hear called a "salary suit' covers that.

Under the budget system there are no court costs involved.
The fee officers present the detailed budget including amount of employees and their pay to the mayor and then the Commission approves it. A consolidated budget should not mean just a total of money being ask for. Oh, hell no and that is up to the mayor to get this detailed info.

After the budget is passed, a simple Letter of Agreement is signed between the office holder and the mayor and free of cost- filed in a local state level court.

One big thing these Letters of Agreement do is allow the Commission and taxpayers to see if the office is growing in employees or if they continually have funded positions that never have employees and that money is being moved to fund bonus payments.

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