Oak Ridge Today

AC Commission preview

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Anderson County Courthouse

The Anderson County Courthouse on Main Street in Clinton is pictured above. (File photo)

Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. today (Monday, September 21) in Room 312 of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.

Prior to this evening’s meeting, the Commission will issue a proclamation saluting Anderson County Community Action Commission for its 50 years of service to the county.

Once the meeting begins, one of the more interesting items on the agenda will be consideration of an Operations Committee recommendation that a writ of mandamus be sought from a judge to force Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank to sign a motion that has been approved twice by the Commission to open an access road to the East Wolf Valley convenience center in Claxton to alleviate traffic congestion.

Frank will address what she calls the county’s non-compliance with state laws regarding vehicles for elected officials and will revisit the issue of whether the Commission has the authority to directly hire and supervise employees. [Read more…]

McKamey, Emert candidates for AC Commission chair

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Robert McKamey

Robert McKamey

WYSH Radio/Oak Ridge Today

Note: This story was updated at 11 a.m.

The current chair and vice chair of the Anderson County Commission are both seeking the chairmanship when Commission elects new officers later this month.

Robert McKamey, the current chair, had already announced his intention to seek another one-year term. Now, vice chair Steve Emert has announced his intention to challenge McKamey.

McKamey and Emert were appointed chair and vice chair in September 2014. It was a first term for both. Both were re-elected to the County Commission last year.

McKamey represents District 5, which includes Marlow and Dutch Valley. [Read more…]

Commission again approves 10-cent tax increase for pay raises, schools

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Anderson County Teachers at County Commission

Roughly three-quarters of those attending the budget deliberations at Anderson County Commission wore red—”Red for Public Ed”—on Monday, July 20, 2015. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11 p.m.

CLINTON—The Anderson County Commission has again approved a 10-cent tax rate increase for 2 percent pay raises for county employees, teachers, and school staff, and this time the result is final.

The first attempt in July ended in a legislative stalemate when commissioners failed to raise the tax rate by 10 cents, even though the budget they had passed earlier anticipated that increase. Commissioners first vote on the budget and then vote on the tax rate.

In their second attempt on Thursday, August 13, commissioners first approved budgets with the total 10-cent increase and then raised the tax rate by 10 cents. That ended a long process that began as early as May and included seven meetings, according to one official.

“We’re just relieved that the process is finally over,” said Rachel Minardo, president of the Anderson County Education Association. [Read more…]

County Commission to consider replacement for Biloski in District 8

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Robin Biloski

Robin Biloski

The Anderson County Commission will consider appointing a new commissioner in District 8 on Monday. The new commissioner will replace Robin Biloski, who resigned on August 3 because she and her husband Bill are moving to Madeira Beach, Florida.

Anderson County Commission Chair Robert McKamey will allow voters registered in Anderson County to submit names to the County Commission for consideration before commissioners vote or consider any motion or resolution on filling the position. The names may be submitted in writing to the chair prior to the meeting, or they may be submitted in person at the meeting.

In order for a name to be considered, a member of the County Commission must subsequently nominate the person. [Read more…]

Pay raises, new money for schools in jeopardy

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Anderson County Teachers at County Commission

Roughly three-quarters of those attending the budget deliberations at Anderson County Commission on Monday, July 20, 2015, wore red—”Red for Public Ed.” Teachers thought they could be getting a 2 percent pay raise, but after a special Thursday night meeting to adopt the new tax rate, it’s not clear if that will still happen. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated with a poll at 10 a.m. July 31.

CLINTON—Pay raises for county employees and educators and new money for three school systems, including Oak Ridge’s, are in jeopardy after the Anderson County Commission rejected a property tax rate increase on Thursday.

A 10-cent rate hike had been anticipated in a budget approved by the Anderson County Commission in a 9-5-1 vote on Monday, July 20.

But the Commission failed to adopt the new higher tax rate during a follow-up meeting on Thursday, July 30. Commissioners rejected the higher rate in an 8-5 vote. Nine votes were needed for passage.

The higher tax rate was expected to help fund 2 percent pay raises for Anderson County Schools teachers and staff and county employees. It was also expected to generate another $423,000 in funding for Oak Ridge Schools and $134,000 for Clinton Schools. [Read more…]

AC Senior Center dealt serious setback

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Information from WYSH Radio

The one company that had expressed interest in leasing a building on South Seivers Boulevard to be used as an Anderson County Senior Center informed county leaders on Tuesday that they were withdrawing the offer.

B&B Properties had offered to lease the 10,000-square foot building to the county for five years at a cost of $1,896 per month but, in a letter to Anderson County Commission Chairman Robert McKamey, said that was no longer feasible.

The company recently leased space in Oak Ridge’s Jackson Tower to a group of doctors, which has resulted in a lack of parking for both the insurance operations housed there and the medical practice, so the company said it will be relocating some of those insurance operations to the building near downtown Clinton. [Read more…]

AC Commission approves 10-cent tax rate increase for pay raises

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Rachel Minardo at Anderson County Commission

Rachel Minardo, president of the Anderson County Education Association, and others have advocated for a 4 percent pay raise for county school teachers and staff. Above, Minardo talks to the 16-member Anderson County Commission in Clinton on Monday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4 p.m.

CLINTON—After rejecting a few other proposals, Anderson County commissioners on Monday approved a 10-cent property tax rate increase to fund 2 percent pay raises for county employees and school teachers and staff.

The vote for the tax rate increase was 9-5-1.

Eight cents of the 10-cent increase is for Anderson County Schools, and the other two cents will cover the pay raise for county employees, with the exception of elected officials and county commissioners.

Earlier in the five-hour meeting, commissioners rejected proposals to:

  • raise the property tax rate by 10 cents for a 2 percent pay raise for the schools,
  • raise the tax rate by 5 cents for a 1 percent raise,
  • approve the school budget as submitted with no tax increase,
  • raise the property tax rate by 7.5 cents for the schools, and
  • use $1.7 million from the fund balance for a one-time bonus for schools in Anderson County, Oak Ridge, and Clinton.

Teachers said they haven’t had a pay raise since 2012, and they last received a bonus in 2013 and that was $200. They have said all the surrounding school districts except Campbell County pay more, and they want to be able to recruit and retain good teachers—and not be a training ground for other districts. [Read more…]

Anderson mayor: Budget proposal holds spending steady, no tax increase

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Terry Frank

Terry Frank

The budget proposed by Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank for the next fiscal year would keep most county departments at current-year spending levels and it includes no tax increase, a press release said.

The proposed general fund budget was presented to the Anderson County Budget Committee on Tuesday afternoon, and it was unanimously approved at Thursday evening’s budget meeting, the Mayor’s Office said in the release.

The next fiscal year begins July 1.

The balanced $25,088,157 budget for the county’s general operating fund proposes maintaining a focus on stabilizing spending levels until “we have full economic recovery,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Johnson Gap Road bridge being repaired

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Johnson Gap Road Bridge

The Johnson Gap Road Bridge is pictured above closed on January 1, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari) 

 

Information from WYSH Radio

Note: This story was updated at 12:45 p.m. Feb. 3.

Work on the long-awaited project to repair the CSX Railroad-owned bridge on Johnson Gap Road in the Dutch Valley community has finally begun.

Anderson County Commission Chairman Robert McKamey told WYSH Radio in Clinton that the railroad has assured him the work should be done within the next three to four weeks.

Crews on Monday began the long-awaited repair of the bridge. [Read more…]

Mayor Frank vetoes resolution dealing with county’s legal bills

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Terry Frank

Terry Frank

Information from WYSH Radio

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank has vetoed a resolution passed unanimously by the County Commission in December that would establish procedures for the county when outside legal counsel is needed for county employees not covered by the law director or counsel from the county’s insurance provider.

The measure would require all requests for outside counsel to be submitted in writing to both County Commission Chairman Robert McKamey and Law Director Jay Yeager.

The Clinton Courier News reported that commissioners found out about the veto on Friday. [Read more…]

Executive session leads to Commission fireworks

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Information from WYSH Radio

There was some drama during Monday night’s meeting of the Anderson County Commission when commissioners voted to go into executive session with County Law Director Jay Yeager to discuss the mounting number of lawsuits against the county. Executive sessions are called for when commissioners want to go behind closed doors to discuss sensitive issues, mainly of a legal nature.

On Monday, County Mayor Terry Frank indicated that she wanted to stay for the executive session, claiming ex oficio status as a member of the Commission. Commission Chair Robert McKamey declined her request, citing her own repeated public statements that Yeager is not “her” attorney, that he does not represent her, and that she neither values nor wants his legal advice.

After commissioners declined her request, she and several private citizens left the meeting room while commissioners retired to executive session. We will bring you more information as it becomes available.

Update: Repairs to Johnson Gap Road Bridge could begin soon

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Information from WYSH Radio

Anderson County Commission Chairman Robert McKamey says he has been in regular contact with a project manager for CSX Railroad, and the repairs planned at the Johnson Gap Road Bridge are still expected to begin before the end of this month.

The bridge has been closed for almost a year and a half after state inspectors determined it was unsafe for travel. Residents and emergency responders have complained bitterly about the extra time that it now takes to get to and from Clinton from that part of Dutch Valley.

Earlier this year, the company gave the county two options for addressing the problem—replacing it at county expense or repairing it at theirs. The County Commission voted to let the company pay for repairing the bridge, and McKamey told WYSH Radio in Clinton that the project is slated to begin sometime in the second half of November and could be completed by the end of the year.