Pot of Gold for the Band of Gold

Former Alderman Matt Stamper weighs-in on the Mayor's use of economic development funds for Hendersonville High School's Band of Gold. Here are his thoughts from Facebook:

As much as I would like to stay out of the local political fray, I feel like I'm unable when I see the things I see going on. The latest dustup is the Mayor spending $10,000 of budgeted money that is eamarked for economic development and giving it to the HHS Band of Gold to help pay for their trip to London. I feel I must speak out.

There is no such thing as objectivity, I understand that. And I understand fully my experience with Jamie, he has me blocked on facebook so we can't have this discussion here, has not been the smoothest over the years and I am suspect of most of the things he does in his role as Mayor. I believe from my own experiences I am justified in that presupposition. So I recognize my own bias. But I would urge you to look at this as objectively as you can.

The budget year ended June 30. Apparently there was at least 10,000 dollars unspent in the econmic development budget line item. Here is what our city website says about ECD:

economic and community development of Hendersonville is extremely active in the recruitment and retention of retail, office, and industrial clients. The City is currently experiencing unprecedented growth in retail and office development, with over $1 billion in new development approved for construction.

How in the world giving $10,000 of taxpayer money for a high school band trip to London can be justified as economic development is beyond me. This is just my opinion obviously and of course who can be upset about kids getting to go on such an exciting trip. I'm not trying to rain on the parade of HHS Band of Gold. If anyone knows me they know my family has supported the Band of Gold for over a generation. My son marched for five years with the band. If there was an issue raising money I'd have been the first to buy fruit or whatever they were selling. I have no issues with anyone giving to the cause, but the problem I have is those specific dollars, earmarked for something completely unrelated to charitable giving, being used as such with the justification that it....I can't imagine what connection Jamie tried to make to economic development.

Is the very presence of our band in a foreign country going to help bring businesses to our city? I don't see it. It's beyond a stretch to me. So here's where objectivity is lost on anyone with a dog in the hunt. What it looks like is currying favor with a substantial number of voters while in campaign mode by finding money that in no way should ever have been used for that to get a bunch of thank yous from the Band of Gold. If anything this expenditure should have been discussed by the full board, but of course Jamie knows anyone in their right mind would not have supported the use of those particular funds for that particular expenditure, not because they don't want to see the kids get to go to London, but as stewards of taxpayer dollars it is the job of the Board to approve expenses in the categories they were designed for and this is not a proper Economic Development expense. It's just not

What are your thoughts? Was Mayor Clary justified in using these funds for the Band of Gold? Should the school system cover these costs? Should local fundraising or private donors be responsible?

email us: newshendersonville@gmail.com

For more news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Thoughts on Trash

So, starting in July, Hendersonville will have a new trash company and everyone will have new trash cans. Service will go from twice a week to once a week and there is some discussion (though no final decision) about adding recycling to the mix. For now, the only guarantee is that citizens will get less service and may also enjoy a savings in the rate they pay for garbage pickup.

Alderman Scott Sprouse and former Alderman Matt Stamper offer some thoughts on this new development:

From Sprouse via his aldermanic Facebook page --

Last night, the board voted to change Hendersonville's twice a week, back door trash service to once a week, back door service. Also, we decided to award the contract to a new service provider. I cast the lone no vote.

No options on the table included recycling. I wish at least one did.

Once a week collection is not frequent enough, especially for people who live where HOA rules prohibit them from leaving trash cans outside. We'll realize this better once summer comes, once it's 95 degrees or higher day after day, once traveling on the day we're to put the trash out means we have to wait a second week for it to be collected.

Also, I have concerns about changing the service provider with such short notice. On July 1, our trash will start being collected by a company that today has no local facility, owns no equipment here, and employs no one to actually provide the service. They have thirty-two business days to acquire that facility; purchase the equipment; hire, screen and train the people who will be driving the trucks and hauling the trash; and establish and learn new routes. We were concerned about another provider having time to ramp-up new service when this was discussed two months ago. We were concerned when we first voted three weeks ago. I don't know what changed last night to make those concerns go away.

While I disagreed with the decision, I will do what I always do. I will respect the will of the board and work to implement the decision of the majority to the best of my ability.

In addition, the reduction of service means the cost of service will be reduced. I will stand by my pledge to vote to pass that reduced cost directly back to the homeowners who pay the garbage fee.

And, from Stamper:

Someone check my math. The old garbage fee (twice a week) was $4,690,907. You have to add tipping fee which comes from the general fund of 975,000 roughly. So $5,665,907. But the fee we pay is $293 on our property tax bill (see attached) for our trash fee. If it was all charged to the residents it would have been $354. Keep that number in mind.

The new contract is $2,553,107.88. If you add the tipping fee (which won't change) you are at $3,528,107.88. Now before we rejoice at a 45.573% decrease in the variable amount of this thing (37.73% overall decrease) and before you think those savings are going to be passed on to the residents keep one important thing in mind. Your service that you are paying for is being cut in half.

So not bad financially, a significant reduction in the cost for a 50% reduction in service. This ignores whether you like or don't like only getting your trash picked up once a week. But the part I'm not excited about (besides going to once a week) is that the push from some of our leaders is not to pass all of this savings on to the residents. Simple math would say the new garbage fee should be at the absolute most $220.37, let's round up since they use whole dollars and just have everyone chip in an extra 63 cents and you are $221. Keep an eye on the first reading of the budget and see if they move it to $221 or less. They really should in my opinion. If you go a dime over $221 you are subsidizing and paying for city services enjoyed by businesses and residents and making only the residents pay for them (not to mention a person with a home value of $150,000 pays the same fee as an $800,000 home). The trash fee is inherently regressive so abusing it would devastating to those with lower economic demographics.

Now this assumes a big change moving the tipping fee from the overall general fund and putting it on the homeowners. But assuming they do that the trash fee should not exceed $221. Any argument they give you that it should be higher than that is absolutely untrue and dishonest. It's a pass through and $221 would make it a straight pass through. If they decided to continue to pay for the tipping fees from the general fund the fee should be $159.47. Were I still on the board I would urge my colleagues to meet somewhere in the middle, perhaps $200. Notice the stormwater fee. In the past year you are looking at them pushing something everyone paid for onto the backs of residents through the trash fee, they've added a $72 stormwater fee to every resident and the reappraisals mean on the property tax itself (which is outside of these two fees) some folks are going to pay double what they paid last year.

Enough is enough on our residents. It's a triple whammy and it appears no one but me is standing up and saying something about it using simple math and facts. There is no denying the accuracy of anything I've said here. In the past two days I've been called about everything but a child of God for pointing out what is happening to us as a city. I'm not being dishonest, I've laid out plainly for all to see.

Stay tuned for what's next!

For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Clary Announces Mayoral Bid

Former Hendersonville Alderman Jamie Clary became the first person to publicly announce a candidacy for Mayor of Hendersonville, an election that will be held in November of 2016.

Clary made the announcement via social media, according to this Hendersonville Star News story.

Clary served as Alderman from 2002-2006. He ran for re-election in 2006, but was soundly defeated by now-former Alderman Lisa West.

Shortly after Clary announced, friends and supporters of potential candidate and former County Commissioner David Kimbrough indicated they'd received messages from him suggesting he will run. Kimbrough has not made a formal announcement.

Other potential candidates include current Aldermen Matt Stamper and Steve Brown and former Alderman Tommy Elsten. Brown and Elsten both ran for Mayor in 2012, when current Mayor Scott Foster won re-election to a third term. Brown then won election to an open seat on the BOMA in 2014.

For more on Hendersonville and Sumner County news, follow @HvilleNews

Liquor Money to Flow to Schools

After a mini-controversy involving Aldermen and the ability or willingness to read audits, it seems that a mistake is being corrected and Hendersonville will make payments over 5 years to the Sumner County Schools to make up for liquor-by-the-drink revenue not previously paid to the school system.

The agreement was reached by Mayor Foster and Director of Schools Del Phillips.  Some on the Board of Aldermen initially expressed skepticism or opposition (Matt Stamper, Mark Skidmore), but the final vote showed broad approval for the negotiated repayment plan. 

Going forward, the City of Hendersonville will pay the money to the schools as it comes in.  The agreement means the schools will receive $200,000 a year from Hendersonville for the next 5 years.