[ad_1]
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — A Tennessee judge has refused to stop the state from financially taking over a black-dominated town near a planned settlement. Ford pickup truck factory.
The decision by Nashville Chancellor Anne Martin on Thursday shows that officials’ concerns in the town of Mason are “slightly outweighed” by the state’s need to oversee balanced budgets and fiscal woes in local governments.
Earlier this year, the Auditor Jason Mumpower when he raised his eyebrows he is He announced that the state would take over financial control of Mason, a town close to the location of a future Ford electric pickup truck factory, due to years of mismanagement. candle power They initially made the decision after Mason had asked the town leaders to hand over their charters, but they refused.
Days after the takeover was announced, candle power Mason added that if he achieves certain goals by this summer, he could reduce the state’s financial oversight. Town leaders sued to challenge the state’s legal status to halt the takeover and require Mason to get approval to spend more than $100.
As the legal battle continued, the judge also wrote that Mason’s leadership needed more information about his allegations that the state had treated the town’s majority Black leaders differently than previous white rulers who struggled with financial problems. They claim that the pending Ford plant led to extra scrutiny.
Martin wrote that the “claims are substantial and raise serious concerns about the Comptroller’s fair use of his broad authority,” but said he has yet to see enough evidence to determine if Mason is being treated differently compared to similarly located local governments.
Martin acknowledged the “hard facts” about local government leaders who “did not contribute to the Town’s financial burden,” but said that “the state must also take into account the interests of the Town in moving the Town to financial stability and a balanced budget.”
State attorneys argued that a corrective plan formulated by the auditor’s office would help Mason finally balance his budget without having to improperly dive into other funds.
The auditor praised the judge’s decision.
“We will continue to work with Mason so that he can pay off his debts, work on a balanced budget, and present financial statements on time.” candle power said in a statement. “Masonic citizens and taxpayers deserve a financially sound government built for success.”
At a hearing last week, a lawyer representing the city argued that although the state had previously taken over funding from other towns, it did so without asking a local jurisdiction to abandon its statute beforehand. HE IS He also argued that the state had overstepped its authority by requiring approval of spending over $100.
The state’s attorney defended the strict spending cap, saying it was based on “historical data” provided by Mason officials. The judge stated that $100 is “a small amount for anyone to run a business.”
Located in Tipton County, Mason is not far from the planned $5.6 billion Ford plant in neighboring Haywood County. Officials say the plant, which will produce electric pickup trucks, will boost West Tennessee’s economy. Ford plans to employ about 5,600 workers at the factory, and building the factory will create thousands of new jobs.
News of Tennessee’s plan to take over Mason’s finances drew criticism from many Black and Democratic leaders in the state. Republican Governor Bill Lee told reporters last month that he did not speak to Mumpower about the decision. However, his office admitted in mid-March that “Ford was a bit hasty on this one” in an email sent to the Associated Press through a public records request.
The 2020 census puts Mason’s population at approximately 1,330. However, after one prison closed recently, that number dropped to less than 800.
Mason has not submitted its annual audit since fiscal 2001 in a timely manner, and the financial statements from 2004 to 2016 are “mainly unaudible”, he said. Budget deficits rose from $126,659 in fiscal 2016 to $481,620 in 2020.
Mason has already voted to use about $227,000 of the federal pandemic funds he received to repay some of the roughly $598,000 owed to the town’s water and sewer funds.
[ad_2]
Source link