Jasper City HallJASPER, Tenn. -- The budget for every local government is tracked to the penny, so any requests for funds outside of that usually draw careful scrutiny.
That was the case when the Jasper Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously last week to approve donations to nine local causes totaling $3,800, even though most of them were not included in this fiscal year's budget.
The donations will go to the Jasper History Museum, the Jasper Elementary School Comprehensive Development Classroom playground, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6362 Essay Contest, the Marion County Sheriff's Christmas Fund, the Sequatchie Valley Honor Guard, the Veterans Memorial Park in Whitwell, Tenn., the Marion County Food Bank, the Marion County Fair and the American Red Cross.
Of the recipients, only three donations were included in this year's budget, officials said.
"So, we're just going to have to come up with about $1,800 or so," Alderman Steve Looney said. "I think these are all good foundations here, and I think we need to [donate to them] if we can."