County Mayor and Commissioner Clash During Meeting

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF-TV) – Tension is still great at the Hamilton county commission where Mayor Jim Coppinger and some commissioners are locked into a dispute over so-called discretionary spending.

The agenda was routine despite the decision by the commission two weeks ago to over-ride Coppinger’s veto of next year’s budget.
That’s when six commissioners voted to keep their individual accounts for a million dollars apiece to use as they see fit.
The mayor took commissioner Warren Mackey to task for what he saw as an attack on finance director Albert Kiser.

EXCHANGE BETWEEN MAYOR COPPINGER AND COMMISSIONER WARREN MACKEY
"It may not have appeared to be an attack from the way…..it was not an attack…ok, I understand that..if that’s the way you feel about it….it was not an attack..but again you said that he was making up the rules…he’s not making up the rules, he’s enforcing ….why didn’t he send it in anyway..if you won’t interrupt me I’ll explain that to you."

Coppinger says Kiser was just trying to get the word to commissioners from the state comptroller about what their discretionary funds can be used for.