Last night, before Commissioner R. Larry Smith jumped down his wife’s throat. He said Commission is looking at GPS systems for all county cars. This sounds good. But reality is as Mike Reeves with Knox County Purchasing indicated today at the County Commission Intergovernmental Committee it is only for 151 cars. The previous resolution excludes Sheriff’s Department and School vehicles.

Mike Reeves indicated that the initial equipment cost would be $75,000.00, the monthly rate of monitoring would be $6,500.00 – $8,500.00. The annual monitoring would cost $78,000.00 – $102,000.00. Combined with the initial equipment expenditure the taxpayers are being asked to spend, $153,000.00 – $177,000.00 when you divide that cost over 151 cars, it will result in an expenditure of $1,172. 19 per vehicle.

These two Commissioners are about spending our money like a couple of drunks on someone else’s tab. Thankfully, the Intergovernmental Committee voted NO on this resolution. Commissioner Bud Armstrong said, “this will buy a lot of gasoline for the county cars.” Commissioner Michelle Carringer said, “the cost of these systems in today’s economic condition are not justified” Commissioner Mike Brown said “spending this kind of money, they could drive the cars home”