Commissioners Jeff Yarber (District 5) and Dr. Mel Griffith (District 6) opposed the vote.
“I cannot support this. Until we say we’ve had enough, they (state) will continue to do this,” said Yarber.
The vote was passed through a substitute motion made by District 7 Commissioner Bill Winters. The motion called for the Commission to pay the $4,200 from the Commission’s line item and when additional unbudgeted funds became available the Commission could replenish the funds.
“I know we got to support this and we got to pay it. But, I think we need to get with our legislators and fight this stuff as much as we can,” said District 4 Commissioner Howard Thompson.
Up until last year, the state funded mental evaluations for misdemeanor inmates. Bradley County will now be assessed $600 per each misdemeanor inmate mental evaluation.
The following consent agenda items were approved by the Bradley County Commission:
n Increase of $14,274.19 to the Bradley County Emergency Management Agency Budget through insurance recovery funds.
n Increase of $500 (contribution) to the Bradley County Emergency Management Agency Budget.
n Increase of $6,150 for vehicle maintenance expenses for the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department as a result of equipment sales totaling $6,150.
n An increase revenue of $40,675 through confiscated equipment sales for the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit to fund drug fund training/traveling expense of $13,000 and to increase the drug unit’s fund balance of $27,675.
The Bradley County Healthy Community Initiative grants were also approved in the consent agenda. The recipients for 2010 are: Black Fox Elementary School Fox Trot Program, $22,500; Bradley County Farmer’s Market, $5,000; Bradley County Emergency Medical Service, $30,598.79; Cleveland Civitan Club, $5,000; Family Promise of Bradley County, $4,200; Lake Forest Middle School walking trail, $5,000; Michigan Avenue Elementary playground equipment, $8,641; People for Care and Learning, $6,299; Taylor Elementary School walking track $12,500; Valley View Elementary walking track, $14,950; and, Waterville Community Elementary School playground expansion, $23,000.
In other Commission announcements, the Buildings and Land Committee will meet Friday at noon in the Bradley County Mayor’s conference room and the County Commission will next meet Monday at noon.
