Snafu Snags Spring Hill Budget Passage

The Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Alderman, in a surprise turn, deferred at its meeting Monday a vote on the budget for the coming fiscal year

Instead of a vote on a second and final approval, as per the agenda, city staff committed a technical whoopsie by not having published the budget in a newspaper at least 10 days before a vote. Alderman Amy Wurth, Ward 1, dug into her Tennessee Annotated Code, as other board members began preparing to discuss an amendment to the budget, and pulled the rabbit out of the hat by inquiring when the budget had run in the paper.

Staff told her it ran in the June 14 Tennessean, to which Wurth responded that according to state law they could not vote on the budget for at least four more days. City attorney Patrick Carter concurred, forcing an 8-1 vote for a deferral until a June 30 special BOMA session convenes.

Also pointed out by Wurth, apparently the copy of the budget published last week lacked some of the information needed by state disclosure and transparency laws. The advert in the Tennessean was missing information about new city employee hires.

On its first reading in May, the budget passed.

The one that ultimately becomes law, though, will differ from that version.

Going into Monday night’s meeting, the budget tallied up to $27 million for general operating expense and an undisclosed amount for a capital plan that will likely land in the neighborhood of $6 million.

After the first reading, the budget totaled $45 million, but lacked balance. Some $839,000 still needed cutting.

Alderman Chad Whittenburg cast the “nay” vote on the deferment.