Miss Banana Pudding will get her salute page valued at $300, but the funds will not come from the city of McMinnville.
Finance Committee members Everett Brock, chairman, Mike Neal, and Ben Newman considered a recent request from reigning Miss Banana Pudding Katie Tubb for the city to purchase a $300 page in the 2015 Miss Tennessee program for her. She will be vying for that title next year.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved her request Nov. 18. One week later, the board announced it had violated its own policy when it approved the request because all financial expenditures must be considered by the Finance Committee first. The city’s offer was suspended and the measure sent to Finance.
“I think it’s unfair to Miss Tubb that we put her in this position where we basically voted for a sponsorship page and really violated our own rules dealing with public notice and the committee system,” said Brock. “Because we did that, we need to revisit this, go back over it, and decide if we really want to do this and bring it out of committee.”
Brock says he has found a resolution that might rectify the situation and be fair to Tubb.
“I will tell you this,” he said. “I do have commitments, if we decide not to do this. I have commitments from people who are willing to take up the slack of this $300 and do it in the name of the city, if the city is willing to lend its name to it.”
Brock was in opposition of the city footing the $300 bill due to the number of young men and young ladies in various competitions, not just pageants, which might also seek the city’s financial assistance.
“I think it’s a bad precedent for us to set by doing this kind of thing for every person in something, whatever it might be,” he said. “Whether that be a beauty contest or whatever, even if we do go through the right channels in doing this. She left here relying on the city to pay for this. We shouldn’t have done that. I’ve got us a way out of this thing. If the city is willing to lend its name to the advertisement, I have already received checks to pay for it.”
Newman agreed the city shouldn’t get involved in activities such as this.
“It is a bad precedent to start,” said Newman. “This is one person in one thing, but there are a lot of people in those types of things. If it’s a beauty pageant or a cheerleader, they look for sponsorship.”
According to city attorney Tim Pirtle, there is nothing legally stopping the city from lending its name on a salute page.
Brock, Neal, and Newman voted unanimously to allow the city’s name to be used on the salute page, which will be paid for by private donations.