Peachtree City's council contingency

fund now has a few strings attached.

Until Thursday night's council

meeting, there were no guidelines for how money should be spent from the

contingency fund. But now, except for emergencies, any money coming from

that fund must be approved by a majority vote of the City Council at a

public meeting.

Even in the case of an emergency,

the spending of those funds would be placed on the agenda for the next

City Council meeting, the ordinance states.

The new regulations were approved

4-0, with council member Annie McMenamin absent.

The change came in conjunction

with allegations from councilman Dan Tennant that Mayor Bob Lenox misspent

$7,500 from the contingency fund as part of a settlement package with

former city clerk Nancy Faulkner. Lenox, however, said he had asked council

for input on the settlement and drew comment only from Tennant, who opposed

the idea (see related story, page X) .

The new ordinance allows the

city manager and/or mayor to use the contingency fund without council

approval for an emergency affecting "the public's health, safety

or welfare."

Councilman Steve Rapson, who

was not on council when the Faulkner settlement was reached, said it was

important to give a little leeway to the city manager and mayor for potential

emergencies.

"I don't want to tie their

hands so much that they can't do anything," Rapson said.

The ordinance also forbids

the contingency fund from being used for projects that previously have

been voted down by City Council.

As he steered the conversation

away from the spirited debate between Tennant and Lenox, Rapson encouraged

the two to mend fences.

"If you were my son and

daughter, I'd tell you to kiss and make up," he said.

Back

to News Home Page |