Sweetwater commissioners did not make the crowd at Monday’s called budget meeting happy when they passed a 9-cent property tax hike.

A few minutes later, Commissioners James Matoy, Tommy Haun, David Cleveland, Buster West and Bill Stockton might have dipped a bit more in popularity at least with Monday’s audience when they voted 5-0 to shift the industrial park fund’s $415,565 to the city’s general fund.

Street Commissioner West had brought up the idea of shifting the industrial fund money into the general fund a month ago.

Police Commissioner Stockton at the time said commissioners had been told for years that money could only be used for the industrial park or to buy more land.

But West had City Recorder Jessica Morgan confirm with the city’s auditor the money could be put in the general fund for general purposes.

At the June 2 City Commission meeting, Mayor Jim Stutts said he opposed shifting the money into the general fund and some residents in attendance Monday said that money should be used to buy land to get more businesses.

They accused commissioners of shifting the funds to balance the budget.

“That’s never been discussed,” Stockton said. “Whoever started that rumor it is not true.”

West said he had never suggested using the money to balance the budget.

The street commissioner said using the industrial park money to help with the cash flow, however is more legal than using the state street aid fund to write checks on for general expenses during the year.

West said shifting the industrial park fund into the general fund would not preclude the city from buying industrial land.

He said the city could pay for land the same way it has paid for other projects.

“If we want to borrow the money and make payments on it we can do that,” West said.

The city’s mayor-appointed Economic Development Board has recommended the city negotiate to buy part of the Loomis farm along the Highway 322 connector because the city-owned industrial park is full.

West said he is not opposed to buying land for an industry and said he would like to see any company who wanted land to come before the commission and discuss it.

The Economic Development Board’s proposal for part of the Loomis farm is on the agenda at the next regular commission meeting at 7 p.m., July 7 at City Hall.

tommy.millsaps@advocateand democrat | 337-7101