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Mayor, sheriff reach agreement on salary suit, but war of words follows

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Anderson County Detention Facility Expansion

The salary dispute between the Anderson County mayor and sheriff focused on the spending to hire up to 36 new jailers to staff a 212-bed expansion that is still under construction at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton.

CLINTON—The Anderson County mayor and sheriff reached an agreement Friday that could end their five-month-old legal dispute over an annual salary agreement, possibly closing one expensive and contentious chapter in local government even as it opened a new war of words between top officials.

Knox County Circuit Court Judge Dale C. Workman could sign the agreement Monday morning.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and Sheriff Paul White said the agreement allows the sheriff to hire 15 full-time permanent deputies and additional temporary deputies when the sheriff deems appropriate as he prepares to open a 212-bed jail expansion. But the hiring must stay within the spending limit approved by the Anderson County Commission this year, and the temporary employees cannot work more than six months.

Terry Frank

Terry Frank

Frank and White announced the agreement in a one-page press release distributed Friday. The case had been scheduled to be heard in Knox County Circuit Court on Monday morning. [Read more…]

Guest column: County looks ‘dysfunctional’ on jail dispute, needs solutions

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Myron Iwanski

Myron Iwanski

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank’s op-ed column submitted to the media last week questioned County Commission’s decision to expand the jail. It has some incorrect statements about the history of this decision that need to be corrected.

In 10 years, the peak daily population of the jail nearly tripled. In 2000, there were 120 inmates, and in 2010 there were 340. The jail had a capacity of 226 when the decision to expand the jail was made in 2011. The peak daily population this year has increased to 396.

Mayor Frank’s claim that the jail is not overcrowded in very misleading.

This overcrowding is causing major problems in being able to properly classify inmates based on risks and other factors. This was the major reason the state was about to decertify the jail in 2011. It also does not take into account that we have approximately 3,000 outstanding arrest warrants, some of which prosecutors and deputies will tell you are for criminals that need to be in the jail. These criminals are not being actively pursued because of a lack of jail space. [Read more…]

AC Commission to consider sheriff’s salary suit in special meeting

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Anderson County Detention Facility

A legal dispute between the Anderson County mayor and sheriff largely revolves around funding to hire enough jailers to staff a 212-bed jail expansion at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton. (Photo courtesy Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

Information from WYSH Radio

After failing to discuss the ongoing legal dispute between the Anderson County mayor and the Anderson County sheriff last month, the County Commission will take the matter up during a special-called meeting at 6:30 p.m. today (Wednesday).

The meeting could include a closed-door executive session during which commissioners are expected to hear an update from Law Director Jay Yeager on the status of the salary suit filed by Sheriff Paul White against Mayor Terry Frank over her refusal to sign his salary agreement for this fiscal year. The salary dispute is scheduled for a hearing on Dec. 9 before Knox County Circuit Court Judge Dale Workman.

Some commissioners have publicly expressed their concern about the cost of the ongoing legal battle to taxpayers, as both sides have retained outside counsel. [Read more…]

Anderson mayor, sheriff reach interim agreement allowing some new staff

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Anderson County Detention Facility

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and Sheriff Paul White have reached an interim agreement in their dispute over a salary agreement that will allow the sheriff to hire another 15 deputies for an expanded jail and also hire a coordinator for the Alternatives to Incarceration program.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and Sheriff Paul White have reached an interim agreement in their dispute over a salary agreement that will allow the sheriff to hire another 15 deputies for an expanded jail and also hire a coordinator for the Alternatives to Incarceration program.

“Attorneys for Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and Sheriff Paul White have jointly submitted to the court an interim order that allows the sheriff to continue to employ his current deputies and hire 15 additional deputies and a coordinator for the Alternatives to Incarceration program,” a Friday morning press release said. “This agreed order is consistent with the mayor’s position and will allow the sheriff to begin increasing the number of deputies he employs in anticipation of opening the new jail.” [Read more…]

Legal fees add up as officials try to ‘stop the bleeding’ in dispute between mayor, sheriff

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Anderson County Detention Facility

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and Sheriff Paul White are engaged in a legal fight over a two-page salary agreement that includes, among other things, six months’ worth of funding for 36 new employees at a new jail pod at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton. (Photo courtesy Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

CLINTON—The legal fees might already exceed $20,000, and they could continue to mount in a bitter dispute between the mayor and sheriff over a $7.7 million salary agreement for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.

Efforts to “stop the bleeding”—and avoid extra expenses for Anderson County residents—were unsuccessful after a lengthy, heated debate on Monday night. During that debate, Anderson County commissioners rejected several proposals to cover some legal fees of Mayor Terry Frank in her response to a salary suit filed in July by Sheriff Paul White. Among the rejected options were proposals to pay Frank’s fees so far but no more, capping them at $40,000, or covering all expenses until the matter is resolved.

Frank has refused to sign the salary agreement, saying it includes about $1 million more for salaries and overtime than was approved by commission in June. But the Sheriff’s Department has said the salary agreement is routine and was drafted according to state law, and actual spending will be closer to the $6.6 million approved by the commission as part of this year’s budget. [Read more…]

Anderson Commission unable to resolve salary dispute between sheriff, mayor

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Terry Frank

Terry Frank

Note: This story was updated at 1:45 a.m. July 16.

CLINTON—The Anderson County Commission on Monday was unable to resolve a dispute between the county mayor and the sheriff over an annual salary agreement, meaning a judge could be asked to intervene.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank has refused to sign the proposed salary agreement for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department. She said it includes about $7.66 million for salaries, which is roughly $1 million more than the $6.63 million approved by commission in June as part of this year’s budget.

“I cannot do anything more than what was passed,” Frank told commissioners Monday morning. “The only way I can sign that is if you go ahead and approve that new $1 million.” [Read more…]

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