Note: This story was updated at 7:33 p.m.
An Anderson County official has proposed a new fee that would be used to help provide more school security.
The new fee—a school security fee—would be added to the court costs paid by a defendant charged with a crime in Anderson County.
In a Wednesday morning press release, Anderson County Circuit Court Clerk Tyler Mayes said he’s already told Anderson County Commission Chairman Chuck Fritts and Law Director Jay Yeager that he intends to lobby local and state officials to add the new court cost fee. It would have to be approved by the Tennessee General Assembly in Nashville.
“In my letter to Chairman Fritts and Mr. Yeager, I made it clear that this is a fee that I will passionately fight for,” Mayes said. “As a former educator and the husband of an educator, it is near and dear to me. Furthermore, our kids deserve to be in a safe environment at all times. I will do whatever I can, in my capacity, to help the schools do that.”
Mayes said the county has used another fee, a courtroom security fee, to help improve security at the Anderson Count Courthouse in Clinton. Money from the new fee would be deposited into an account created by the Anderson County Budget Department.
“We are at the beginning stages of discussion, but I look forward to meeting with local and state legislators about this topic,” Mayes said. “The school systems in our county do a great job of keeping our children safe with the resources they have. I want to be able to provide additional financial resources for them.”
Mayes could not say how quickly the fee could be implemented, but he said he “will do what he can to move the process quickly.”
Lawmakers, education officials, and the National Rifle Association have proposed a range of solutions to make schools safer after the Dec. 14 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., the second-deadliest school shooting in American history. The shooting killed 20 children, six adults, the gunman, and his mother, and it has led to proposals across the country—including in Tennessee—to possibly arm teachers or increase the number of school resource officers.
But it’s not clear how much support or funding some of those proposals would have. There seems to be general agreement that having more school resource officers, or SROs, could be helpful, but local and state officials have wondered how the extra positions would be funded.
CK says
A new FEE ?How STUPID. They can shove that idea where the sun won’t shine. We need LESS FEES ,and more work for what we spend now. That’s evil government trying to use a crisis to tap out the citizens for more money. Whatever we do ,don’t let them use “FEES” to pretend they care about us. That’s Socialism ! Remember the power to TAX is the power to destroy.
Ck Kelsey says
A Court Clerk has NO business trying to create Laws and FEES !
TMayes says
Mr. Kelsey, I agree that a Clerk has no business creating laws or fees. It is an idea for commission and state legislators to look at. Like the article says, the fee would be added to court costs assessed to a defendant convicted of a criminal offense. It is not a fee the citizens of Anderson County would pay.
Ck Kelsey says
If it’s a FEE for a school it must be maintained by my undersatnding. Excuse the analogy ,but it’s a case of shooting 1st and then aiming later. All Fees and Taxes in our county are our responsibility.If you get the fee instituted ,we are stuck with maintaining the funding. That is why I say, it’s not your place to “create ” a new fee. Here’s the Channel 8 video from today http://www.local8now.com/news/headlines/Anderson-Co-court-clerk-proposes-school-security-fund-184973031.html
Just because your letter sounds like you have a good idea doesn’t make it so. IMHO it’s a bad idea because we already fund it and it’s the County Mayors decision on how the budget will work .Propose saving a couple bucks on every court transaction and you will have my support 100% .In bad economc times any Tax ,and or Fee, or combination of them, is a bad idea .