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| | Tuesday, October 18, 2016
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CLB declines to rescind fire civil service board
The Cocke County Legislative Body(CLB) voted unanimously Monday evening, to appoint Deputy Register Mark McGaha to the post of Register of Deeds upon the resignation of Register Linda Benson. Benson told the body she will resign effective November 30, after 42 years in the office. Earlier this year the CLB approved a fire civil service board, however Mayor Crystal Ottinger reported during the meeting that the procedure used to establish the board has no basis in law. During the recent budget discussions Mayor Ottinger opposed funding for additional fire department personnel arguing the department is adequately staffed, and when the positions were left in the budget she vetoed it. The CLB later overrode the veto. Monday evening she told the board, no other county in the state has a fire civil service board because there is no provision in law for such an entity. Commissioner Andy Tritt said he was told a Private Act would be required for such a board, and he argued the county could be the target of a lawsuit if a board is seated without legal authority. County Attorney Carter Moore in response said the County Technical Assistance Service(CTAS) maintains such a board cannot be established even with a Private Act. The City of Newport has fire and police civil service boards, as does the Cocke County Sheriff's Department. The body voted 8 to 4 against rescinding the action which established the board, deciding to leave it in place but asking the state attorney general for an opinion on the legality of the current board and the procedure used to establish it. Mayor Ottinger who supervises the fire department, said the move violates state law. "I'm really not sure how to address that, to go against a state law. I may take action myself, because we take an oath of office to uphold laws, not break them to get things done. I don't know how you expect me to manager a department that now has been set up through actions that are taken against state law," the mayor told the body. In response Commissioner Shalee Benson said she feels that the body was misinformed by attorneys "and we really need to know what's going on." Because of a computer glitch, the owners of 825 parcels of property sold earlier this year for delinquent property taxes, will receive a rebate. Finance Manager Anne Bryant-Hurst said more then $59,000 will be returned to the original owners because of excessive fees and interest that was charged. Jason Oury of the Industrial Development Board and Partnership President Lucas Graham talked to the body about policies and procedures that are intended to recruit manufacturing and retail firms to the community. The members approved a plan to give new or expanded companies property tax reductions based on their capital investment, number of employees hired and the pay level of workers. The Newport City Council last week gave it's approval to the incentive plan. The CLB also voted to re-appoint Hilda Lovell and Gay Webb to the Cocke County Regional Planning Commission.
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