Mega Sports Complex Authority asked to return money paid by county

The Etowah County Mega Sports Complex Authority has been told it has to repay the $34,619.07 received from the Etowah County Commission or the money will be withheld over the next three months because of a rarely used amendment that prevents disbursing funds in the middle of a fiscal year.

The Counties chief financial officer, Kevin Dollar paid the funds after an act was signed into law by Gov. Robert Bentley on June 5.

Rep. Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, sponsored the legislation that established the Etowah County Mega Sports Complex Authority. The legislation specifies the Tennessee Valley Authority in-lieu-of-taxes payments, with the exception of the portion that goes to Sardis City, be directed to the authority. It’s about $140,000 a year. The County Commission is responsible for disbursement. Ford said at a meeting in August that the money had not been paid after the law was signed and requested Dollar make the payments. Dollar wrote three checks for $11,539.69 each within a few days of the meeting. After the checks were sent to the authority and deposited in its account, Dollar said Amendment 474 was brought to his attention. By law, the money should not have been paid until Oct. 1.

Dollar said the amendment is to keep a governing body from having an unexpected shortfall in the budget midway through the year.  He said the amendment has been place for several years, but is rarely used. He said that’s why he believes he and others forgot about it.