Ward Two Alderman Terry Bates made another bid Tuesday night toalter how paving funds are distributed among board members and themayor.

In recent years, whatever money has been allotted in the budget- $320,000 this year – has been divided eight ways between the sixwards, the mayor and aldermen at large. The mayor and alderman atlarge also receive a share in order to help with projects thatmight be too costly for one ward or might fall by the waysidewithout their assistance.

Bates maintained that $80,000 for the two citywide offices needsto be put into the wards directly rather than left to the decisionsof Mayor Les Bumgarner and Alderman at Large Karen Sullivan.

“Every street in my ward and Wards One, Two, Three, Four, Five,and Six is your concern, is the mayor’s concern,” said Bates. “Whyshould we split it eight ways?”

Bates said he felt that if all the money allotted to Bumgarneror Sullivan was put into one particular ward, other aldermen wouldfeel slighted.

“If they gave me all that money in my ward, well then the restof you would have a frown on your face,” Bates said.

Ward Five Alderman D.W. Maxwell told Bates that in the past, itseems like it has always been done fairly.

“I think it’s a greater burden on them to decide on where it’sspent,” Maxwell said. “The results of the last four or five years,I think the mayor and alderman at large have done a good job. Wehave streets that wouldn’t have gotten paved if it wasn’t forthem.”

Bumgarner had already indicated he was tired of the argument,one that Bates brings it up every year. The mayor told the boardthe money that goes to him and Sullivan often serves an importantpurpose.

“The problem is the streets with no votes,” said Bumgarner,suggesting that city streets with few or no residences also needattention and could be neglected otherwise. “This argument is notworth it to me, Terry. You can take the money if you want it.”

Bates then made the motion for the money to be split six ways,which was seconded by Ward Three Alderman Mary Wilson.

“If we ask you to help, you will,” Wilson said. “You’re going toshare the money with us. Why not just let us have it?”

At that point, City Attorney Joe Fernald reminded them thatpaving requests are still subject to board approval, no matterwhose ward they go in.

“Everything you decide to do gets voted on by the board,”Fernald said. “You don’t have $40,000 to do whatever you want with.It’s the board’s money to spend on projects, otherwise you couldjust pave the road in front of your house.”

When Bates said he just thought the issue needed to be broughtto a vote, which he said it hasn’t been in his 21 years on theboard, Ward One Alderman Dorsey Cameron suggested another time forthe issue to be addressed.

“If we’re going to do something like this, we should do it atthe beginning of the budget,” he said. “Maybe we could look at itfor the 2011 budget, but not now because this is not the time.”

Bates and Wilson were voted down on the redistribution of pavingfunds by a count of 5-2.

Meanwhile, Bates also campaigned to move forward on looking intocollecting funds, he said primarily in the form of grants fordisadvantaged areas, to put another recreational park in his ward.He told the board he didn’t think the project would cost anythingbeyond equipment if a grant was obtained, and that he thought itwas only fair since Ward Two, which is the home of the Dr. A.L.Lott Sports Complex, does not have a park.

Bumgarner pointed out that work is currently under way to get apark for Wards Four and Five, and that he felt Bates was trying toget in front of that project.

“We can’t have a contest to spend money,” he said. “I bet you aCoca-Cola that this ends up costing $50,000.”

Maxwell chimed in that if the grant is only for specificdemographics, then it wouldn’t hurt to let Bates look into it.

“I agree Ward Four and Five is due the next park,” he said. “ButI don’t have a problem with Terry finding the grant money that canonly be used in that area.”

Bates made the motion that Brookhaven Recreation DepartmentTerry Reid be instructed to look into park funding for Ward Two,which was seconded by Wilson. He was voted down 4-3, with Cameronjoining Bates and Wilson in support of the park funding searcheffort.

Bates also discussed piping a ditch in his ward that is at leastin part on private property.

According to the board discussion, it was pointed out thelandowner has said he won’t allow city crews on his property towipe the ditch out unless they’re coming in to pipe it. Afteradditional talks, the board convinced Bates to table the discussionfor the next meeting in order to find out about costs of the pipingproject.