Editorial: Alderman stand against proposal by Jeff Washburn

by Jeff Washburn

The Dresden City Board on Monday night took a stand and held firm on protecting the taxpayer funds of the City of Dresden. This was accomplished by refusing to approve on first reading an ordinance proposed and promoted by Dresden Mayor Mark Maddox and City Recorder Jennifer Branscum to raise the threshold in which the City of Dresden would be required to advertise for bids on purchases costing more than $5,000. The proposal was to raise the amount to $25,000 before the city would be required to seek and advertise for bids for a purchase.

Wisely, the city aldermen declined to second a motion made by Alderman Willie Parker to approve the proposed increase in the amount before the city would be required to seek bids.

The aldermen rejected the “false flag” argument made by City Recorder Jennifer Branscum that the city spends a lot of time and resources trying to get quotes and bidding out purchases.

After spending eight years as Mayor with my term ending in November 2022, I have current knowledge that purchases requiring bids are few and far between for Dresden with the current threshold at $5,000. The sum of $25,000 is certainly not the norm in Tennessee for Tennessee cities and municipalities as was stated. As a matter of fact, the Tennessee purchasing law was only changed at mid-year 2022 to allow cities to increase the required bidding level up to $25,000 by ordinance. Prior to that change, the statute set the default amount at $2,500 prior to bids being required and allowed low population Tennessee cities to increase the bid threshold up to $10,000 by ordinance. Dresden had increased its bid threshold to $5,000 by ordinance several decades back and that level continues to function well to protect taxpayer funds without funds being spent without city board oversight.

Aldermen Gwin Anderson and Kenneth Moore were vocal opponents to raising the spending limits to $25,000 or even a lesser level of $10,000. They both pointed to the measure being an attempt to take away board oversight of spending of city funds and placing that authority in the hands of un-elected department heads and the mayor to spend funds well beyond the current threshold where bids are required, and board approval of the bids and the items being purchased.

They and the other board members who declined to support this proposal were right and deserve the thanks of the taxpaying citizens of Dresden. Raising the bid ceiling to that level, in my opinion, was a recipe for massive property tax increases and irresponsible spending.

This proposal would also have brought about less transparency in city government of how and for what city funds are being spent.

Bravo to the city aldermen for standing up against this proposal.

Opinions and letters published in The Weakley County Press are not necessarily the views of the Editor or Publisher.