DO YOU WANT A DEAL? ASK FOR DUGGER'S DISCOUNTED BANK LOAN DEALS--& HI-INTEREST DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS AT PEOPLE'S STATE BANK!

Follow This Link for This News Story On Video
NOLENSVILLE, Tenn. -- As shoppers know,
there's nothing like getting something at a vol-
ume discount, but there are ethics questions
about whether some local leaders could have
benefited from a volume deal for a city's bank-
ing business.
People's State Bank of Commerce opened a
new headquarters in Nolensville this year and
they wanted to do business with the city.
"I talked with the mayor and the recorder and
they said make me a proposal,” said bank CEO
Rick Moody.
Moody wrote a letter promising the city a very
good interest rate if they deposited at least
$150,000. There were also perks for city em-
ployees like free checking and savings accounts,
Christmas club accounts and discounted loan
rates for qualified employees.
"The part of the proposal for employees is
straightforward, the same you would make to
employees of any business,” Moody said.
There was just one problem for the city of
Nolensville -- the mayor and aldermen voting
on those perks are also employees and stood to
benefit from their own votes.
"I wasn't aware of that letter or any offers they
had never been discussed,” Alderman Joe Curt-
singer said.
Curtsinger and several other aldermen said
they never saw the letter and had no idea em-
ployees were offered special deals.
Curtsinger voted against the proposal and
believes accepting the deal is a violation of the
city's brand new code of ethics they adopted the
same night as the banking vote.
"Whether that's money handed to you, whether
it's a discounted loan, free ATM card, any perks
like that, I think we as elected officials have to
be large enough to say no,” Curtsinger said.
Nolensville Mayor Tommy Dugger said he
sponsored the bank's proposal strictly to help
the city's fund balance.
"The only reason was the interest rate on the
checking account to get more interest to look
out for the funds for the town,” Dugger said.
Dugger said he lost the bank's letter and takes
responsibility for not letting other aldermen
know what was in the proposal and he said he
understands how that oversight looks.
"It may look that way (like a conflict of interest)
but it was not meant to be that way. We will
certainly address those issues and correct them
on the second reading,” Dugger said.
In a state where lawmakers are going to prison
for bribery, politicians in the smallest of towns
are learning what it means to do business under
new ethics laws.
Dennis Huffer with the Municipal Technical
Advisory Service, a group that advises local
governments, said cities are expected to pass
code of ethics measures specifically to avoid
these kinds of situations.

NEWS UPDATE! Interim mayor Dugger is
back at Peoples Bank asking for another deal
without what he calls the "fluff" that is, the
FREE Stuff like free checking, ATMs etc,
debit cards and discounted loans? Of course
everyone wants to know if the first deal
was SO BAD why is he going back for another
DEAL?

At the next 10/5 board meeting look for another
banking deal sponsored by interim mayor, but
be sure to ask HOW CAN WE BE CONVINCED
THAT ALL THE DETAILS WILL BE SHARED
WITH ENTIRE BOARD AND AUDIENCE?

Send in your comments and emails. Be sure to
get registered to vote on 11/7. Vote early or in
person, but vote.