Worst Waste Of County Money--You'll Be Surprised

Use Of Consultant on Courthouse Tour

The cost for the Health and Safety Assessments of Lee County High School and CCCC Jonesboro campus was $19,600. At least the consultant is good at looking after himself. The budget was $20,000. By the way, the report cost about $2000 a page for actual discussion and recommendation. His reports were largely discredited even by Democrat candidates for the board of commissioners. (See draft column click here) At least the $19,600 report got the chair of the county commission to invite the chair of the school board to sit down for a discussion among the two of them, along with the Interim Superintendent and the county manager. The commissioners have initiated few such meetings during the last two years. Out of that meeting came Bill Tatum's request that the local health department check for mold and that seems to have lead to some significant findings. So, that is not the worst offense of wasting tax payer dollars. The Worst Offense What could be worse than that? Sometimes it is not the money, it is the flagrant disregard for the public money coupled with simple stupidity. When the commissioners were considering the smoking ordinance, Jerry Lemmond came up with the notion that it "might be a good idea if our consultant looks at the situation at the courthouse." There was no vote but his colleagues seem to go along--all of them. Later when he changed his vote (see video of vote change), he used as his excuse of giving Commissioners Reives and Kelly the chance to look the situation at the courthouse over. With the issue having been around for more than a month, that Reives and Kelly had not already been to look at the situation says a lot about them. So one day after a public hearing at the old courthouse, a delegation including Reives, Kelly, the county manager, and others went on a tour with their $2000 a week consultant. They had questions he couldn't answer so he had to research them and stretched it out to a full 40 hours-$2000. That was the worst waste of county money. At the time Jerry Lemmond was grabbing onto the consultant to help provide political cover on the smoking ban issue, sitting in the audience was Russell Spivey. Russell Spivey knows more about that court house than the $2000 a week consultant will ever know. He has been Superintendent of of the Department of General Services’ Buildings & Grounds Division since 10/01/07 and has worked with the county since 1981. The questions it took the week to answer he could have probably been answered right on the spot during the tour. Any he couldn't answer, he would have quickly had the answers. His job is to provide a safe and comfortable environment for all County departments to conduct business in a timely and efficient manner. It did not take him long to be selected as Employee of the Month (February 2006) when that program started. He has one of the most positive attitudes of any public employee and works well in his soft-spoken manner with everyone no matter what their pay grade. He is a member of the executive board of the NC Chapter of the American Public Works Association, Buildings and Grounds Division. As soon as Lemmond made his suggestion, some eyes in the room turned to Russell. Those employees knew that Russell was the best person to help the commissioners, too. So much for morale! Russell didn't seem to notice. He is not much into ego--just getting his job done. Editors Note: I was furious. Jerry Lemmond has a pet "set aside" pork project. He is Vice Chair of a private, non-profit called Johnston-Harnett Lee County Community Action--a throw back to Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty." These groups have always been known for their poor administration and waste. Despite his conflict of interest he has openly lobbied in meetings for more money for a group dear to the heart of Commissioner Reives' constituents. In the last two years the amount the county has given them has risen from $9400 to $14000--a 50% increase for naming Lemmond Vice Chair. Until now, that was Jerry Lemmond's top tax payer's money waster. Not any more. It is just $2000 and the principle that Russell Spivey was sitting right there in the audience. And Jerry Lemmond ought to answer for it in this election.