Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles skipped the Maury County Commission meeting on Monday evening, where a vote was held to override his veto of the county budget.
Ogles’ veto was reportedly overridden by a vote of 17 in favor of the override, with two against, and three abstaining.
Mayor Ogles, who is also running in the August 4 Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat, elected to attend a campaign meet-and-greet held at Plantation Pub in Bellevue, Tennessee.
Ogles noted to The Tennessee Star that the meet-and-greet had been scheduled for a while and that he didn’t believe his presence would change the outcome of the vote.
One of Ogles’ TN-5 opponents, State Senate aide Tres Wittum, took Ogles to task over his lack of attendance at the meeting.
In a tweet, Wittum said, “Let the record show the mayor is not here at tonight’s meeting. Politicians veto & run.. for other offices. I’ll never run from you, and I’ll do the work. I hear you Maury Co & I’ll take care of you as your congressman. Not just words, charades &speeches #TN5 #TN05 #TNGOP”
“Let the record show the mayor is not here at tonight’s meeting.”
Politicians veto & run.. for other offices.
I’ll never run from you, and I’ll do the work.
I hear you Maury Co & I’ll take care of you as your congressman. Not just words, charades &speeches#TN5 #TN05 #TNGOP pic.twitter.com/NoXNpiKGyj
— TRES for Tennessee (@TRESforTN) July 19, 2022
“Maury Co would be in violation of State law if the library (operational funding) isnt funded in its budget. This isn’t a ‘pound sand’ ‘defend with my AR-15, come arrest me,’ type of fix. We need responsible leaders.. it does matter who leads. Very upset people!! #TN5 #TN05,” added Wittum in another tweet.
Maury Co would be in violation of State law if the library (operational funding) isnt funded in its budget.
This isn’t a “pound sand” “defend with my AR-15, come arrest me,” type of fix.
We need responsible leaders.. it does matter who leads.
Very upset people!! #TN5 #TN05
— TRES for Tennessee (@TRESforTN) July 19, 2022
“The mayor doesnt want to just defund the US Dept of EDU, He is attempting to defund Maury Co schools by $15million & the sheriff’s office will miss so much in payroll.. This isn’t good EDU or safety policy for Maury Co. “Where is the mayor to defend this veto?” #TN5 #TN05,” Wittum said in a third tweet.
The mayor doesnt want to just defund the US Dept of EDU,
He is attempting to defund Maury Co schools by $15million& the sheriff’s office will miss so much in payroll..
This isn’t good EDU or safety policy for Maury Co.
“Where is the mayor to defend this veto?”
#TN5 #TN05— TRES for Tennessee (@TRESforTN) July 19, 2022
Witteum told The Star that attending the meeting was “important” to him so he could understand “the security and budget of the counties in my district.”
“It’s very important to understand the county and city budget, that you have to understand the nuances of local issues when you are seeking to represent these people in the U.S. Congress,” he said.
“When you have a candidate that talks about border security, build the wall, and securing the border – and then he goes and – guts the sheriff’s budget, you have to show up,” Wittum added.
The Star previously reported that Ogles sent a letter to Maury County Commission Chairman Don Morrow in which he vetoed the proposed Maury County budget for the next fiscal year, citing the negative impact of the proposed tax increase as citizens deal with the Biden administration’s inflationary policies.
“I have spent a great deal of time reviewing the budget in context of the greater economic factors that are occurring in United States, from record fuel prices, inverted yield curve, collapse in commodities such as copper, and record low consumer sentiment just to name a few; some analysts are speculating that the impending recession could be worse than 2008,” said Ogles in his letter.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, Truth Social, and Parler.
Photo “Andy Ogles” by Mayor Andy Ogles for Congress.
