Let's look at that wonderful new firing range Blount County is getting. The DT says http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20080309/NEWS/242020534

The agreement between the two allows for joint use of the facilities and gives the Guard priority use to meet state and federal mobilization requirements.

Buried in the Budget Committee Package http://www.blounttn.org/comm/BC080310.PDF are a couple of interesting items on this contract. Now, I ain't no contract lawyer but I am still a taxpayer and on pdf page 26 the request for Budget Increase / Decrease it says the reason for the request is " The Sheriff's Office in cooration with the Tennessee Air National Guard will enhance our current target system with 100% funding for the target system from the Guard Bureau" FREE! I love free! Who does not love FREE? Oh, wait.. always a catch, eh? Scroll on down to pdf page 32 and look at the Estimated County Share. Is that $2,100,000 I see? Really? Free cost two point one million? AH, I can't be reading this correctly can I? Continuing to pdf page 33 I see under Project Scope, item C that someone has to provide 3,500 sq feet of dedicated space to the ANG in the new Operations Building. Since the full contract is not included in this month's County Commission package I think it is fair to simply ask what the $2,100,000.00 is all about. Someone better ask! UPDATE- version two of the CC info package is now online and this contract is now included in the package. No new data, simply the contract is now added.