Wednesday, May 9, 2001
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Wednesday, May 9, 2001 |
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Council OKs limits on contingency fund spending By JOHN MUNFORD
Peachtree City's council contingency fund now has a few strings attached. Until Thursday night's council meeting, there were no guidelines for how money should be spent from the contingency fund. But now, except for emergencies, any money coming from that fund must be approved by a majority vote of the City Council at a public meeting. Even in the case of an emergency, the spending of those funds would be placed on the agenda for the next City Council meeting, the ordinance states. The new regulations were approved 4-0, with council member Annie McMenamin absent. The change came in conjunction with allegations from councilman Dan Tennant that Mayor Bob Lenox misspent $7,500 from the contingency fund as part of a settlement package with former city clerk Nancy Faulkner. Lenox, however, said he had asked council for input on the settlement and drew comment only from Tennant, who opposed the idea (see related story, page X). The new ordinance allows the city manager and/or mayor to use the contingency fund without council approval for an emergency affecting "the public's health, safety or welfare." Councilman Steve Rapson, who was not on council when the Faulkner settlement was reached, said it was important to give a little leeway to the city manager and mayor for potential emergencies. "I don't want to tie their hands so much that they can't do anything," Rapson said. The ordinance also forbids the contingency fund from being used for projects that previously have been voted down by City Council. As he steered the conversation away from the spirited debate between Tennant and Lenox, Rapson encouraged the two to mend fences. "If you were my son and daughter, I'd tell you to kiss and make up," he said.
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