Rules committee creates separate budget consent calendar with $250,000 cap

The Blount County Commission Rules Committee voted Feb. 25 to recommend creating a separate “budget consent calendar” for routine budget actions and grant applications, and to set rules aimed at ensuring committee review before items are bundled on consent.

Committee members said the proposed change to rule 8(b) would call routine administrative items the “general consent calendar” and create a separate budget consent calendar for budget appropriations, decreases and grant applications that do not approve an expenditure of public funds in excess of $250,000. The nut graf: the change is intended to preserve the efficiency of consent while ensuring significant budget actions receive full attention.

Under the draft language, any budget item bundled on the budget consent calendar must have been recommended favorably and unanimously by all budget‑committee members present at the budget committee meeting; any abstention or negative vote by a present member removes the item from the consent calendar. The committee also added that items removed from either consent calendar at the workshop cannot be returned to a consent calendar at the main meeting unless every member unanimously agrees. The committee proposed considering budget consent calendar items after public input on the agenda to allow speakers to raise concerns before bundling.

Commissioner French moved to forward the revised consent‑calendar language with a favorable recommendation; Commissioner Carver seconded. The clerk recorded four yes votes and the committee voted to forward the change. Members discussed wording tweaks, including adding the word “unanimously” to clarify the requirement and clarifying the timeline for pulling items prior to voting.

The recommendation will be included in the packet to the full commission.