March 18, 2009

In the March 16 pre-council meeting, Councilman Chuck McGuffie said to Councilman Kevin Small, "Stop me if I am wrong, but every time I bring up something for the schools, you arbitrarily throw up a roadblock." 

This comment led to a two-person disagreement that ended, then flared up again later in the meeting with Small cursing. Small denied McGuffie's allegations.  He apologized later at the council meeting for his earlier behavior.

The dispute started after McGuffie asked other council members to approve $500 for Band-Aids, asprins, thermometer covers, cotton swabs, feminine products and Neosporin for Clay-Chalkville Middle School and Clay-Chalkville High School health rooms. He said the Jefferson County Board of Education has approved providing Band Aids for the high school, but other items are still needed.

McGuffie also asked the council to approve $150 for a lunch money "slush fund." He said that the principal at Clay Elementary said some parents don't have the money for their children to have hot lunches. So these students are eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for two weeks at a time. 

Small and Councilwoman Jackie Hambrick asked if those students could get the free or reduced lunches provided through the county. 

McGuffie said it takes time to get on the program. And students whose family falls on financial hardship now would likely not be approved until the end of this school year.

Small asked if the request could be made first to churches. He said he is concerned that the city has been operating six months without a budget and, although this request is for a small amount, it adds up. He said he doesn't have problems with the money going toward the schools or the students. "I'll pay the money out of my own pocket," Small said. "I'm not against giving them the money."

"We're doing the same thing the last council did," Small said. "We're just doing it a different way. They had a budget, and they didn't follow it. We don't even have a budget."  He asked later for a moratorium on the city spending money from the general fund until there is a budget. He suggested the same with the AmFund account, which has money that the city borrowed in January 2008. That amount was $5.5 million. Only $1.8 million is left.

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McGuffie withdrew his request. He said he would report this back to the schools.

Hambrick said she did not want to set aside the issue.

McGuffie said, "We're all in this together."

Hambrick said that now that the issue has been raised, the council can think about it.

Councilman L.B. Feemster said that small amount can be gathered from people in the community without any problems.

Small said he didn't want to take a stand on this. But as a general rule, it's time for the city to start operating on a budget.

The second time McGuffie and Small disputed was after McGuffie said, "Just because you're not in on every detail of every plan of every time somebody comes up to City Hall..."

Small cut off McGuffie and slapped the table. "You talk about not being on anything," said Small. "I'm constantly finding out about things I'm not in on, like my guys being moved up to this building up here- nobody bothered to include me in on that decision." Small reports on matters of public works and building inspections. "There are people making decisions every day that's not being brought before the council."

McGuffie said he and others are also not included on every decision. 

Hambrick stopped them by saying, "I think ya'll have said it. That's enough."