Top Metro Official Apologizes For Spending $135K Without OK

NASHVILLE, TN -- In a letter sent to the Metro Council Monday, Metro's chief operating officer, long-time mayoral advisor Rich Riebeling, apologized for authorizing more than $135,000 in spending without proper approvals, saying it was a simply a mistake.

WSMV reported last week that Riebeling OK'd payments to Commonwealth Design Services for design and planning of the proposed Major League Soccer stadium at The Fairgrounds Nashville totaling more than $135,000. Commonwealth is owned by Larry Atema, a long-time friend of Riebeling, a top advisor to former mayors Karl Dean and Megan Barry.

A significant chunk of that money - $84,000 - came from an account tied to revenue generated at Bridgestone Arena and spending from it must be authorized by the Metro Sports Authority. Monica Fawknotson, executive director of the authority, confirmed to Channel 4 that she had never seen the invoices nor had the authority voted to spend the money.

In his letter, Riebeling said Commonwealth had pre-existing Metro-wide contract for project management services and that when he authorized the payments, he assumed the sports authority had already approved them.

"I was not aware that the scope of the resolution approved by the Sports Authority did not cover this preliminary work at the Fairgrounds. Clearly, I should have checked to make sure the Sports Authority had expressly authorized this work," Riebeling wrote. "I apologize for the failure to do so."

Riebeling said he will ask the sports authority to retroactively "ratify" all the spending. Councilman Steve Glover tried to use Rule 36 to overturn the council’s prior authorization to issue bonds for the stadium, a longshot effort, given that the bond issue passed the council overwhelmingly. His attempt failed, though he can try again.

Riebeling's future in the upper echelons of Metro Government isn’t clear. Mayor David Briley told The Tennessean he is "re-evaluating" the COO position. Shortly after she took office, Barry created the COO position and installed Riebeling who served as Director of Finance under Dean. Riebeling, notably, was not in attendance at the first Metro budget hearing Monday.

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