Last night, WVLT reported the controversy stirred up when the Children's Home board didn't immediately acquiesce to the Mayor's desire for them to share their property with other organizations: Link... [1]

It will be discussed and the problem hopefully corrected in tonight's commission meeting. There's a ton of info in the commission packet about this starting on page 75/Item L4 of Link... [2]. While the change to the charter, the primary intent of which was to add more board members, wasn't brought before the county commission, it looks to me like each of the additional new board members was actually approved by the county commission.

And it sure sounds like the Mayor is questioning his predecessor's authority to sign over the deed for the land without resolution of the county commission. But you'll see in the packet that there was a motion, a second, and a vote of the commission to do so. It wasn't like she signed over something that they didn't intend for her to. And Roy Crawford's signature is right along beside hers. He's as trustworthy as they come.

I would hate to see the county commission exploit the Children's Home on a technicality, when really, they could just bring it up to snuff instead. I've been on a number of boards and I understand the need, sometimes, to infuse them with more energy in the form of more warm bodies. I realize that this property has increased in value exponentially, given its location relative to Hamilton and Hunter Crossing Shopping areas, but this is just not reason enough to back out on a deal that the Children's Home participated in in good faith. Let's do the right thing.