DUANE SHERRILL Editor

South Jackson Performing Arts Center, the Sports Council and the Tullahoma Area Chamber of Commerce will now receive equal funding from the city of Tullahoma after the funding measure passed in the third and final reading at the board of mayor and aldermen.

“This is the fairest way to fund these three organizations that provide so much for Tullahoma,” outgoing Alderman Kurt Glick said.

Alderman Busch Thoma, who has been cautious about the funding of the three non-governmental entities, voiced his concern about fixing the funding to the three.

“Bundling the funding for these three entities together isn’t fair,” he said. ‘They are not all the same.”

He pointed out that the sports council has $160K in the bank and that they have no employees while the other two entities do have employees. However, he pointed out the city, over the past several years, has contributed over $1 million to South Jackson (the city owns the building). He pointed out their liability at South Jackson is just for the roof but that the city had spent much more than that.

Thoma worried that money would have to come out of the general fund. “Where is this money going to come from?” he asked, noting he felt the idea is being rushed. “I think the timing is off.”

Glick argued that the three are equal as one provides for business, the other for sports and the other for the arts. He went on to say that the city is responsible for the entire South Jackson building.

“It would not behoove the city to let it fall to pieces,” Glick said. “It’s a matter of pride for Tullahoma.”

Crunching the numbers, Glick said last year the Chamber got 12% of the motel/hotel tax which worked out to $47,000 while South Jackson got 6% which worked out to $23.5. The sports council was recently given $35,000. Atop the motel/hotel tax, the city would only be liable for about $35,000 out of the general fund for the equal funding.

Thoma maintained that giving money to outside entities when city service are not fully funded is not fair to the taxpayers.

“The money is either going to be taken from a department or from a contingency fund which are the funds we are supposed to be using in case of an emergency,” he said.

Mayor Lynn Sebourn pointed out that there are a lot of loose ends when it comes to the funding and a new budget amendment would have to be made. “I think we need to leave this to the new board,” the mayor said (the third reading was held in front of the outgoing board, minutes before the new board was sworn in).

Alderman Matthew Bird agreed that there will have to be budget amendments and a change to the motel/hotel tax system before funding can actually occurred. Bird wanted a delay in implementing the plan but could not get a second to his motion.

The ordinance for equal funding carried 5-2 with the mayor and Thoma voting against.