A recent meeting of the Hamblen County Finance Committee focused on a change order for the upcoming county Health Department Complex. The committee approved the change order for $3,483, which will fund the hiring of an equipment operator and facilitate the cleanup of concrete and rebar at the site of the old Food City store, where coolers had previously been installed. County Mayor Chris Cutshaw explained that the funds are designated for essential repair work on the floor.
“This was presented to us before, but this is the actual change order,” Cutshaw said. The committee unanimously passed the measure with a 10-0 vote, allowing it to move forward for consideration by the full County Commission on January 22, 2024.
Discussion on County Contracts and Oversight
Following the vote on the change order, the committee engaged in a broader discussion about the county’s contract procedures. Cutshaw and Commissioner Thomas Doty led the conversation, which centered on a longstanding practice allowing the county mayor to approve small, short-term contracts—typically those lasting under a year—without prior approval from the commission.
Doty highlighted that this procedure had been in place for years, even before Cutshaw’s tenure. “It’s been the County Mayor’s prerogative,” Doty noted, emphasizing that the practice has historical roots within the county’s governance structure. He indicated that while the County Technical Assistance Services had been consulted on the issue, there was no explicit provision in the Tennessee Code either permitting or prohibiting this practice.
Both Cutshaw and Doty recognized that the procedure had existed for multiple county administrations. While some commissioners suggested introducing additional oversight, others opposed interfering with the mayor’s autonomy in managing short-term contracts. Doty proposed a vote of “good faith” to acknowledge that Cutshaw was simply adhering to established protocols.
“There has to be some level of trust that allows the mayor’s office to operate on these short-time contracts,” Doty stated.
Cutshaw expressed his willingness to adapt if the commission desired changes to current practices. “Moving forward, we can change how we operate,” he said, affirming that he was following established procedures.
The commission plans to revisit this issue during its upcoming meeting, where further discussions on contract management are expected. The outcome could influence how contracts are handled in Hamblen County moving forward.
