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Cheatham County approves budget amendments and interfund notes for school buses and school projects
Summary
The county approved multiple budget amendments across general, highway and school funds and authorized two interfund capital outlay notes — $185,000 for West Cheatham Elementary field lighting and up to $1,054,534 for seven school buses — while rejecting a motion to instruct the School Board to move $140,000 of an expected bus rebate to the debt fund.
Cheatham County’s Legislative Body approved a package of budget amendments and financing measures during its Nov. 18 regular session.
Director of Accounts Sandrine Batts presented amendments to the County General Fund covering jail equipment purchases, ambulance funds, a Register of Deeds server upgrade and sheriff’s grant receipt line items; those amendments passed by roll call. The Highway/Public Works Fund received transfers for paving and an equipment shed. The commission also approved an insurance recovery transfer to buy a replacement patrol vehicle.
On school finances, commissioners approved several actions the School Board had approved on Nov. 7, including: $32,938 moved to in‑service/staff development from a state offset grant, $840,000 transferred from the General Purpose School Fund balance for employee bonuses (the minutes say $1,000 for full‑time staff and $500 for part‑time), and amendments to the Extended School Program and Central Cafeteria funds. Roll call records show many of these motions passed overwhelmingly, with occasional recorded abstentions for individual items.
Most consequentially for capital financing, the Legislative Body authorized two interfund capital outlay notes: up to $185,000 for athletic field lighting at West Cheatham Elementary (Resolution 13) and up to $1,054,534 to fund seven school buses (Resolution 14). The bus note includes a Budget Committee request that $140,000 of an expected $175,000 rebate be deposited to the Education Debt Fund once received. A later motion asking the School Board to amend its budget to move $140,000 of the rebate to the Education Debt Fund failed on a 5‑5 roll call.
Commissioners also approved authorizing the surplus and donation of a 1999 Ford F‑350 brush truck to the Harpeth Ridge Fire Department and voted to decline a tax‑sale bid on 1015 Mt. Pleasant Road because of maintenance violations.
The interfund notes are structured as loans between county funds and require Comptroller approval, per the resolutions recorded in the minutes. The minutes do not include loan terms beyond the statutory limits and standard provisions; they indicate maturity will not exceed three fiscal years and that the notes will be amortized in a manner consistent with Comptroller allowances.
