Aldermen Regret Not Reading Audit

Two Hendersonville Aldermen are frustrated about their own ability to read printed documents.  That's the bottom line as Mark Skidmore and Rosa Long threw tantrums at a recent Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting because the City owes the school system over $1 million in back liquor-by-the-drink taxes. 

Long and Skidmore, the lone dissenters among the BOMA, were provided with the city's financial audit in February of this year -- well before a final vote on the budget.  That document included detail regarding a state law requiring Hendersonville to pay a portion of liquor-by-the-drink taxes to the school system.

While the issue was not discussed publicly, that's not for a lack of meetings on the budget and AFTER the audit document was distributed.  The fact that they did not read the document or form questions during committee and full BOMA meetings does not mean the issue is a surprise. 

Perhaps now, the two will read documents handed to them by city employees related to issues as important as the city's financial situation and upcoming budget.

Core Wars

Last week, School Board member Vanessa Silkwood offered a fairly weak attack on Common Core -- with arguments based more on scare tactics than facts. 

In response, there was a letter pointing out some of the facts Silkwood got wrong.

And then columns from James Dittes and Scott Langford offering a solid defense of the Common Core State Standards. 

Food Bank Opens New Location

The Sumner County Food Bank has opened a new location -- expanding its ability to serve the neediest Sumner County citizens.

No More Mimi's

Not in Hendersonville, anyway.

Yep, another Streets of Indian Lake restaurant closes.

Long Again

After one year of not serving as School Board Chair, Don Long has been re-elected to the role. Andy Daniels will now be the Board's Vice-Chair.  Long and Daniels replace Ted Wise and Beth Cox, who held the Chair and Vice Chair roles this past year.

Long led the search for Sumner's current Director of Schools, Del Phillips.  Last year, Wise and Cox were chosen to lead the Board for a year. 

Long and Daniels are both up for re-election in 2014. 

School Board to Vote on Insurance Tonight

The Sumner County School Board will meet tonight at 6PM at the Board Office in Gallatin.  Among the agenda items is discussion and a vote on moving to a new, locally managed insurance plan for all employees.  If accepted, certified employees (teachers) would move to the new plan in January 2014.  Enrollment in the new plan would begin in October.  The agenda also includes a vote to separate classified employees from the current County-managed insurance trust to the new trust managed by the School Board by way of its appointed Trustees. It is expected the Board will vote to separate and move all employees to the new trust by January 2015. 

Teachers approved the new plan in a vote held last week.

The School Board's consultants (Arista Consulting Group) have indicated that the Board will realize significant savings -- enough to continue covering a minimum of 45% of health insurance for retired teachers despite the loss of a state subsidy that currently covers those teachers.  Teachers who retire before age 65 with at least 30 years of service are guaranteed that 45% of their health insurance cost will be paid by the state until they reach age 65.  That's because teachers are currently covered under the state plan.  According to the numbers provided by the consultants and Sumner's recent claims experience, it seems likely that significant savings will be realized. 

Another agenda item is the election of a Board Chair and Vice Chair - currently, those positions are filled by Ted Wise and Beth Cox. 

County Commission Meets Tonight

The Sumner County Commission meets tonight. Here is the agenda.

Among discussion items -- the ongoing sagas about the Hendersonville Library AND the Airport Authority. 

Teachers Choose New Insurance Plan

Sumner County teachers have voted to create an independent health insurance trust overseen by the School Board.  This means that in January of 2014, teachers will no longer be a part of the state's Local Education Medical Plan.

 It also means that the Board will soon vote to remove its classified (non-teacher) employees from the County-run insurance trust. 

That's the same trust that was bailed out in November of 2012 because it was running out of funds to pay claims. It ran out of funds to pay claims because the County refused to follow the Trustee's recommendations to raise premiums -- doing so would have increased costs to both employees and to the County.  And a solid majority on the County Commission is steadfastly against a tax increase for any purpose.  So, with no other sources of income, the Commission allowed the trust to nearly go bankrupt, then bailed out it with reserve funds. 

If that type of management continues, the County employees and school system classified employees would face serious consequences including an end to the trust and either a new plan or no plan. 

The School System's move should make the insurance situation more stable for its classified employees -- but it will also put the County Trust in danger of collapsing.  Without the premiums from the school system employees (who have tended to file less claims than other county employees), it seems unlikely the Trust will survive absent a significant premium increase. 

According to the school system's consultants, the move to a new School Board Trust for health insurance will create significant savings.  Most immediately, employees could see premium reductions of $15 a month or more (depending on the plan they choose) from their portion of the insurance match.  Additionally, the Board figures to see savings in the millions in its portion of premium payments.

With such savings available, the School Board may finally be able to raise pay for all employees to a more competitive level with surrounding counties. 

Only time will tell if the School Board's new plan will be a success.  Of course, you can expect political heat to be generated over the move to take the school system's classified employees out of the current County Trust. 

Stay tuned ...

Have Another Drink, It's for the Schools!

So, a portion of the liquor-by-the-drink tax is supposed to be going to help fund schools. As it turns out, for each drink you drink at a bar or restaurant in Sumner, you are helping fund schools.  Well, sort of, anyway.  The thing is, the funds that were supposed to be sent to schools haven't been going there in ... well ... ever.

This is not a uniquely Sumner problem...but, it means schools will be getting an additional $200,000 a year over the next few years... to settle up on the monies they've missed out on by not getting the tax. 

Moreover, you can now feel a whole lot better about ordering that second Jack and Coke at your favorite watering hole.

Billy Geminden Doesn't Want Educated Voters

In an interview with the Portland Leader, County Commissioner Billy Geminden expressed his dislike for the Common Core State Standards by essentially saying he didn't want education to be about creating an engaged group of voters.  Geminden:  "...I don't like trying to raise up an electorate instead of a workforce."

So, in the mind of this County Commission, it's ok if schools turn out workers, but it's not ok if those workers turn out to be educated, informed voters. 

Geminden went on to suggest that newly appointed School Board member Janet Arnold agreed with his assessment on the Common Core and that's why he voted for her.

Nevermind that neither the County Commission or School Board has any input on Tennessee's participation in Common Core (which has been a key part of Tennessee education policy since 2010 and which is supported by both former Governor Phil Bredesen, current Governor Bill Haslam, former U.S. Senator Bill Frist--now President of SCORE, and even Phil Valentine), let's focus on what kind of voters Billy Geminden wants (or, in this case, doesn't want). 

Perhaps Geminden (and by association, Arnold), don't like Common Core because they fear that a more rigorous curriculum focused on critical thinking will mean voters will actually investigate and ask questions of those for whom they may vote.  In which case, Geminden, who has been a consistent opponent of funding for Sumner County Schools, may find himself out of his elected position in 2014. 

Unfortunately for Geminden, Sumner County citizens are already pretty engaged when it comes to school funding issues.  Nevertheless, for politicians like Geminden, used to doing their business with nobody watching, the idea of a new crop of productive workers who are also engaged citizens has to be pretty scary.

No wonder he supported Janet Arnold. 

Forsythe vs. Hyde: Or, is it a park or not?

It seems Merrol Hyde and Jerry Stone are in a bit of a row with Garry Forsythe -- of course, given Stone and Hyde's propensity to challenge anyone (schools, the library, the airport board), it's no surprise they are now confused about their dealings with former imaginary Mayoral candidate and terminated Mayoral aide Garry Forsythe.

Here's the story.

Basically, a couple of investors have bought some land near the Hendersonville Public Library that many thought was part of a park.  They say they have "exciting" plans.  They promise to keep the common, public space...well, common and public. 

And it seems that no one is really paying attention to what happens at important meetings where decision like who owns what piece of land are being made.