Board approves resolution for county CFO assistance after extended questioning; 6–1 vote

The Blount County Board of Education approved a resolution to accept temporary Chief Financial Officer assistance from county government after extended discussion and a 6–1 roll-call vote.

The resolution — introduced as agenda item 10 — drew detailed questions from board members about compensation, hours worked and whether the arrangement had been pro bono. One board member said, “I think at the time, it was 20,000, and I see on the new resolution is $21,000,” and asked how the extra $1,000 was configured and whether supporting documentation could be produced for the board.

Board presenters said they had consulted the Tennessee School Boards Association and the state comptroller’s office. The chair said the state comptroller recommended returning the compensation to Moore County government and that county government should compensate its own employees because the person providing services was not a Moore County Schools employee. “It was their recommendation that we return the amount of compensation back to Moore County government,” the chair said, summarizing the comptroller’s guidance.

Board members voted by roll call: Brian King, Joe Lindsay, John Love, Chris Cass, Bill Porter and Randy Gerhenauer voted yes; Erica Moore voted no. The motion passed.

Board presenters also summarized that county staff assisted the district during a period without a CFO, worked on compensation scales and the 25–26 budget, and that those efforts helped secure multi‑million‑dollar budget improvements and pay increases for teachers. They described a set of collaborative budgeting and cost‑saving decisions that preceded the resolution.

What happens next: The board approved the resolution and directed staff and relevant county offices to follow through on the administrative arrangements described in the resolution.