Bluff City Board Splits Donations Into Two Payments

BLUFF CITY, Tenn. – Half now. Half later.

That’s a message the Bluff City Board of Mayor and Alderman sent four community organizations after voting Thursday to restructure how it distributes charitable donations in the wake of this year’s economic downturn.

When they approved the city’s budget in September, board members promised to give almost $18,000 to six nonprofit organizations: the Bluff City Volunteer Fire Department; the Piney Flats Volunteer Fire Department; the Bluff City Senior Citizen’s Center; the Thomas Memorial Public Library; the Second Harvest Food Bank; and Bluff City Churches Community Aid.

But city officials delayed cutting the checks until Thursday and in doing so touched on how the economy and ongoing problems with their water and sewer system have made this job a little harder than before.

Between July 1 and Dec. 31, Bluff City brought in $104,606 in sales tax revenue, according to the Sullivan County Accounts and Budgets Office. That was about $40,000 short of what the city was counting on so far this fiscal year, according to its budget, which calls for $295,000 in sales tax collections for the entire year.

As it deals with the income drop, Mayor Todd Malone said, the city also is struggling with water mains that burst open repeatedly this winter and two pumps at its sewer plant that date to the 1950s.  Those two problems are costing the city immense amounts of overtime pay and equipment expenses that were not included in the budget, he said.

“Do we have the money to [make these donations?],” Malone asked the board at Thursday’s meeting. He said the city currently has $118,000 in its general fund reserves, including $50,000 it borrowed from its building fund earlier this year to help with cash flow issues.

Alderwoman Irene Wells said she was worried about the low general fund reserves, especially because the city might need to replace or continue to do some major work on its sewer pumps if they were to break down again. She suggested giving the six community organizations half their money now and the other half at the end of the fiscal year.

All of the board members except Alderman Melvin Carrier agreed with Wells. He said the city should just give the organizations all of the money now.

“There’s no use pussy-footing around,” Carrier said. “[Malone] said the money’s in there so why not pay them.”

Board members took Wells side when it came to the city’s four largest benefactors, the two volunteer fire departments, the Senior Citizens Center and the library.

Board members voted to give the Bluff City Volunteer Fire Department $5,000 of the $10,000 they promised now and the other half later. The Piney Flats Volunteer Fire Department will get $2,500 now and $2,500 later. The Senior Citizen’s Center and the library will each get $500 now and $500 later.

Wells said the city also should split the money it promised to give the food bank and Bluff City Churches Community Aid because it would only be fair.

“These people need food, Irene,” Carrier said as he challenged Wells on this proposal and recommended giving both organizations all their money at once.

By a unanimous vote, board members then voted to give the food bank its entire $500 allocation at once and the community aid fund its $300 allocation at once.

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