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straight on vehicles





Dear Editor:

First of all, as Blount County Mayor, I want to thank the Blount County Sheriff and his staff for making available a great vehicle for our new Animal Control Officer. The Sheriff's Department has been very cooperative and generous with different departments throughout Blount County Government in providing vehicles. Certainly these vehicles were deeply needed and appreciated. By virtue of the Sheriff's Department providing these vehicles, it certainly saves us money on our tax rate. Only a fool could not realize this.

Unfortunately, the Sheriff and his department has taken a lot of unwarranted, uninformed, and underserved criticism relative to the number of vehicles. Let me set the record straight on the misinformation which seems to be continuously espoused by one or two unenlightened groups.

Some number of years ago our Sheriff agreed with a past Blount County Commission, at the request of the federal government, to house federal prisoners here. The federal government pays for this housing. That did not have to be done and the Sheriff could not have been forced by the county to do that. However, he took on the task in order to generate more revenue for the Blount County coffers and help all of us in our missions. This has been done for some number of years and, at present, by virtue of having taken on that task, over $2 Million in revenue is generated per year.

Pursuant to the Sheriff agreeing to do that some number of years ago, an agreement was reached with the Blount County Commission that a certain portion of those monies could be used for obtaining new vehicles in order that the Sheriff's Department have appropriate fleet maintenance and replacement of worn out vehicles. This has been done on a yearly basis and that is why Blount County is fortunate enough to have more vehicles than these other "comparison counties."

I have spoken with folks in these other counties and I am advised each of their Sheriff's Departments, both in Sullivan and in Washington County, are in need of more vehicles. However, funding from their commissions is not available. The funding from our commission would not be available for this many vehicles either. The Sheriff and his staff by taking on the burden of housing the federal prisoners earn this additional revenue enabling these purchases.

Now he is being maligned for his hard work by some who do not work. I want it completely understood that 20 to 25 new vehicles are being purchased through the hard work and earnings generated by the housing of these prisoners.

Again, and I am being repetitious for the benefit of those who are continually harping on the vehicle issue, were it not for housing the federal prisoners, there would have to be additional monies allocated in the budget process with a commensurate increase in the tax rate in order to fund vehicles. Blount County's Sheriff Department is the envy of officers and sheriffs in Sullivan and Washington counties because of what our Sheriff has been able to accomplish with the cooperation of our County Commission.

Philosopher and humorist Will Rogers once said "Everybody is ignorant. We are just ignorant on different things." Isn't that true to these "Johnny-Come-Lately" critics?

Sincerely,

Jerry G. Cunningham

Blount County Mayor

341 Court St.

Maryville, TN 37804-5906