New commissioner attends training

Bedford County Commissioner-Elect Denise Graham took notes on her iPad during an orientation seminar for new county commissioners in Nashville presented by the University of Tennessee County Technical Advisory Service. Photo by Clint Confehr) [Order this photo]

That's what the University of Tennessee's County Technical Advisory Service was offering Aug. 24-25 at the Airport Marriott Hotel where Bedford County Commissioner-Elect Denise Graham said, "I'm trying to get my foundation."

Basic information on open meetings, oaths, federal exceptions to Tennessee's status as an "at-will" employment state, ethics and conflicts of interest were part of the curriculum, but outside the sessions, new commissioners could find practical news they could use.

President Barack Obama's Aug. 10 signature on a $26 billion jobs bill delivered $195 million for Tennessee's Basic Education Program and, therefore, money for county school systems, according to Lynne Holliday, a CTAS consultant on BEP requirements.

"On average, 62 percent of a county's budget is for schools," Holliday said. "It's the biggest thing you do, relative to spending on other departments."

The jobs bill is the source of the second largest amount of money put into Tennessee's BEP, Holliday said. It will send money to Bedford and all other Tennessee counties and help ease a financial crunch as the economy appears stalled.

Meanwhile, officials know the federal money will not be available forever.

As many of the subjects of the seminars involved money and education, David Seivers, executive director of the Tennessee County Services Association, commented, "Education is the top priority for the people here."

Attendance at the seminars this past week was greater than expected, according to CTAS conference spokesman Brett Howell. The UT group anticipated approximately 450 people at the conference, but there were another 120 officials, not counting staffers who attended.

"I think," Seivers said, "it's just a genuine commitment by the people elected."

Graham's remarks substantiated that attitude.

"I have a passion for Bedford County," she said. "I have a daughter who's going into law school, so I want her to see we made a difference... to be proud of her parents and want to be involved in things when she's older."

Chad Graham, the commissioner's husband, is director of Bedford County Emergency Medical Service and a member of the Bedford County Board of Education.

Meanwhile, Holliday reports that about 70 of Tennessee's 95 counties have not passed an annual budget yet even though the fiscal year started eight weeks ago. Many counties have been using a continuing resolution so spending would be at the same rate as authorized last summer. It's what Congress does frequently.

Anna Childress, who returns to the Marshall County Commission after a few years off the panel, was at the conference and indicated CTAS provided a good refresher course on what it takes to meet the responsibilities of being a county commissioner. Childress is one of 10 new commissioners who meet in Lewisburg.

As the only new commissioner on the Bedford County Commission, Graham said, "Politically, my county is stabile. It seems that way, but I know our time is coming."