KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Among dozens of contracts Knox County commissioners approved Monday, one sparked debate over county funding of pregnancy resources.
Commissioner Amy Broyles raised issue with an $8000 contract with the Hope Resource Center.
Broyles argued the organization duplicates services already provided by the Knox County Health Department, alongside politically motivated advice. She compared funding the organization to funding Planned Parenthood.
Services listed on the contract include pregnancy and STD testing.
Mayor Burchett defended the group, saying the additional services were additional bang for your buck.
"We have no hidden agenda. It is basically to love every single person who comes through our door. Yes, we are a faith based organization. I'm not going to hide behind anything," Lisa Hardin, executive director for the center.
In the end, commissioners passed the resolution without change.
Knox county commissioners also voted to begin an audit of the Beck Cultural Center.
An internal audit will take place over the next few months and look into how county dollars were spent at the site.
This year's budget process raised questions about the Beck Center's IRS filings. Beck lost more than 90 percent of its county funding in budget cuts this season.
Commissioners also voted to began internal audits on the county's Public Building Authority, and the financial records behind the building of Hardin Valley Academy.
Commissioners approved the sale of the Solway Greenwaste Facility.
NRR of Tennessee bought the site at auction for $2.06 million. The property was appraised for $1.2 million.
Mayor Burchett suggests the money could go toward the building of a new Carter Elementary School in East Knox County.