SPARKS FLY AS NOLENSVILLE LEADERS REVIEW PROPOSED2007-2008 BUDGET?
CLICK HERE before you read any further! You won't
believe how our crack team shown above cut $9,250
from the town's VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. and then
said it was OK for the Mayor to spend $8,500 on a
FIREWORKS DISPLAY? WHERE IS ............
THE OUTRAGE???
Calling all residents of Nolensville and all the new
residents of new housing developments...when our
excellent VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. cannot get to
your house in time due to BUDGET CUTS YOU CAN
REST EASY knowing that $8,500 DOLLARS WENT
UP IN SMOKE???
David Rowland who serves on the budget committee
said they couldn't give the VOLUNTEER fire depart-
ment the money they need BECAUSE last fall in a
meeting that Dugger (lost control of )when he refused
to OK $250,000 to expand the fire station IT PASSED
OVER HIS OBJECTIONS! FOLKS IT IS PAYBACK
TIME IN NOLENSVILLE. Dugger deeply dislikes the
fire chief and it appears the feeling is mutual.
The newspaper article says the "proposed" budget
calls for $3.9 Million in spending and includes a 2-cent
property tax?? However, with the tax hike this budget
team still had to cut $250,000 from budget requests
made by town departments. Makes you wonder just
who is in control???
And if all the above isn't enough to make you "weep"
Dugger said a never before known budget item...of
ONE MILLION DOLLARS was being set aside (from
where?) for a new town hall. Dugger justified this by
saying it was on a five-year capital improvements
plan? A never before non-existant capital budget
and NOT APPROVED BY THE BOARD????
WAKE UP NOLENSVILLE! LET'S HEAR FROM YOU
NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!! OF COURSE YOU
CAN IGNORE IT ALL AND ENJOY WATCHING THE
FIREWORKS BLOW-UP $8,500 OF YOUR MONEY?
PS: Dugger reminded everyone that the Mayor can
write a check for $10,000 anytime she wants to with-
out board approval...but no $9,250 for VOLUNTEER
FIRE FIGHTERS?
PPS: BTW...Did we read in the newspaper article
that the Mayor didn't even attend the budget meet-
ing? If that's so...where's her leadership? Sorry,
we get them mixed up there's the puppet and then
there's the puppetmeister--Dugger?
posted by Guest Writer at 10:26 PM
22 Comments:
I knew it...I just knew it...and now it has come home to roost. The voters are now reaping what they voted for and it is bad. Very bad.
Yes, we live in one of the new housing developments we along with our neighbors are "worried!"
The animals have taken over the zoo! We are telling our neighbors to buy as many fire extinguishers as possible. Thank God for sprinklers.
You are just now realizing how bad dugger really is! And to think 4 more years.
You obviously did not attend the meeting and hear Tommy Dugger say that the fireworks may be FREE due to local business and personal donations!!!!
To the new subdivision person. . .if you don't like it here then move!!!
I do think that this town is in for a bumpy ride with this queen mayor. How sad for us! And for those who actually thought she could do good for our town. What kind of person do we have running our town. What about the drama she has caused the 4 workers at town hall who are now unemployed????
Hello 10:22 you forgot the re-read Dugger's comment..."MAYBEFREE" any time a politican's lips are moving you can bet he's telling a whopper!
Before you ask anyone to move why don't you move..yourself. Bye!
If you would come to meetings you would see what kind of people we have running our town.
The new Town Event Committee (created by the new mayor) is already fundraising for the fireworks. The $8.500 is backup in case they don't get any donations.
The mayor was too sick to attend BOMA. She's probably worn out from so many day hours and night meetings.
Did the mayor CAUSE the drama, or did the employees? Things were pretty lax under Knapper's rule.
Maybe some changes were needed.
There are always 2 sides to every story.
Too bad this blog is only interested in one.
Does anyone so quick with their negative opinion even know what the extra money is for? It is to pay the stipends the volunteers get paid for each call they make.
It is not to cut equipment or lessen public safety. The fire department will go on as usual. Our wonderful volunteers will still make calls even if the stipend money runs out near the end of the year. NVFD has a $30,000 surplus they can use if they have to.
The town also pays almost $50,000 a year fire truck payment.
P.S.The budget committee and town event committee don't get paid for their volunteer work.
We are new to Nolensville...but I just love it when both sides are able to express their opinions. But we have to take issue with 11:35 and 11:46. Have you ever in your lifetime seen any politico NOT SPEND THE MONEY? Your back-up suggestion is a joke! For years people were invited to bring their fireworks to the town event where volunteers who signed a waiver against injury set off the fireworks.(It ain't broke so why change it?) Second what is wrong with taking the $8,500 for fireworks and giving our volunteer fire fighters a raise??? Town LEADERS need help--there are NO
PRIORITIES IN PLACE? PAYBACK GAMES
GOT TO GO NOW!The budget committee has to stop playing politics...if the fire department is forced to raise money from their supporters then "keep your hands off of it" it is the fire department's funds.
Not yours to play games with!
Clearly some of the loud mouths don't know the difference between capital and operational budgets.
But I can't find any line items where fireworks are listed. Maybe if we keep firing employees then we will finally have enough to fund the fireworks. And if we can do that, why can we not fund the operational request from the fire dept?
9:23, as a newcomer you show your ignorance of facts. Are you really a newcomer or just pretending to be?
Last year's fireworks display was the biggest yet--cars lined the streets, people struggling to carry chairs, blankets, coolers, etc. and keep track of excited kids--in the DARK. Adults and kids darted in and out of parked and moving cars in the dark. There were several slammed on brakes by slowly moving vehicles that I saw.
Mayor Dugger saw the potential for disaster and realized the event had outgrown the subdivision.
As I remember, at the meeting where he suggested the town take it over and expand it to a whole town celebration that all our new neighbors could attend, at the well lit ballparks, he received applause and thank yous.
If you think this town isn't willing to donate, you really are a newcomer. Where do you think our firefighters get their donations each year? They aren't mandatory.
And yes, I have seen our BOMA not spend ALL the money.
Where do you think they got the $3 million plus balance?
3:38 PM How right you are! There is no plan in the budget for fireworks or any kind of capital budget for a new town hall. Dugger knows he can just say it is so and so far nobody challenges him except Curtsinger who needs to be awarded the Purple Heart for his efforts way beyond the call of duty. Get real people the old guard as still go to go! No matter what Nolensville should not have to suffer for four years with this kind of ignorant so-called leadership.
Please let me squeeze in here and respond to 5:15 PM. Let me quote from your comments.."I have seen the BOMA not spend all the money...where do you think they got the $3 million plus balance?"
Yes, as 3:48 said the ignorance is beyond belief? First, there is NO 3 MILLION DOLLAR BALANCE PERIOD! This is what they say they need in the budget GOT IT! Our board hasn't got any idea where they are going to get that money. They said they need 3 million, but are still don't know where they can get it? Most of the money in the budget comes from the state mandated tax of $1.00 per sq. ft of new housing. As of 1/2007 the state passed a law preventing any town in the state from collecting any money from the new housing developments for roads, police and fire for anything. So the only thing left is to increase the property tax 2 cents. Next year 5 cents and on and on. Yes, you are right you say you have seen the BOMA not spend enough money to
support our fire department until they are literally FORCED TO DO IT!
The city road maintenance account is so far overspent no one can keep track of it. Finally, another insult is Dugger saying they have a 5 year capital budget for a new one million dollar town hall. NOT TRUE! Town has never had a capital expenditure budget and still doesn't.Saying it is so..doesn't make it SO! Be patient the truth will OUT! Lastly...call up Curtsinger and thank him for hanging tough! He is our only hope on the board. Move the fireworks to a bigger site..stick with the old plan and save the money! How hard is that????
The town budget is short $250,000. Isn't that the exact amount Curtsinger and the fire department DEMANDED last year for a new building they could have waited for. Curtsinger and the fire fighters acted like spoiled brats that demanded their way or no way.
10:11 you had better hope your sprinklers work and you don't need the volunteer fire fighters anytime soon! The Fire Chief and his staff waited six years to get that addition to the fire hall. Dugger wanted to delay it another year and lost control of the meeting trying to get his "spoiled brat" way. It did not work. Thank God there are still a few brave souls that will stand up to this
political "payback" policy in our town hall. Get real 10:11.
It's about time...folks are beginning to wake up...let it all hang out? Pro and Con. There is no other media in town that will tell it like it is. So what if fact and fiction get mixed up let's hear from everybody and then you can decide!
Nothing more American than a good old fashioned "blog-a-rama" let the good times roll.
Let's watch Curtsinger's back for him...he's the man so let him know you got his back. Town's law suit against Curtsinger backfired and now the board and town attorney have been exposed for just how far they are willing to go to stay in office and "smear" anyone who gets in their way. Hang on...rocky (fork) road ahead.
Where do we sign up 11:40 PM? You are on a roll...opinions matter..so do facts...problem is too many people are afraid to give their real opinion and even more are afraid of the facts. That's where the blog does the best exchange of information. Most adults can separate fact from fiction...so let the opinions roll on...everybody knows there is no exchange of honest information in our town meetings so why bother?
Did you attend even one meeting 11:22?
All 4 Aldermen asked Curtsinger and Chief Hughes to delay their request only 30 days to discuss what the majority of people in the community (including firefighters) think is a much better option-- a substation on the North end of town; closer to the majority of calls and firefighter's homes.
Dugger lost control? Curtsinger, Hughes, and some firefighters lost control of THEIR tempers, demanding their way or no way.
Hey, blame Beth Lothers since she gave the swing vote to put down Dugger and Alexander.
I think it would be great for the Town of Nolensville to have their own private firehall, firemen, and equipment. The excellent Nolensville Volunteer Fire Department (county fire department) has taken enough slander and abuse from the town. Put your money where your mouth is. Oops, the town has no money and never will.
NVFD is not a county fire department. It gets far less money from the county than Nolensville.
Are any of the City staff,appointed or elected work or volunteer as a NF ?
In the past firefighters in most communities have been involved with politics in some form and fashion. Are the issues that these brave people have, being used by some for their own benefit or out of real concern?
Nolensville incorporated as a Town,not a city. The town government is made up of Mayor and 5 at large Aldermen, all elected.
I believe the mayor makes $350 month for expenses, and aldermen $175. The town hall staff are all paid employees. The people on the commissions; Planning, Zoning, Historic Zoning, Beer Board, Storm Water, are appointed and unpaid volunteers. Same with all the committees; Budget, Communications, Town Events, Design Review, etc.
None are NVFD. Chief Presley Hughes attends BOMA meetings and gives a monthly report which goes in the minutes. After years of paying their own expenses, Mayor Knapper passed the town paying each who responds to a call inside town limits $5. That's not much for doning that hot, heavy suit, driving to the event, and spending a couple of hours or more risking their lives for us.
So the next time they send their fundraising letters you know what to do.
Post a Comment
<< Home