Firefighters won raise from commission
photo by Hollie Webb
During a Monday voting session, the Bradley County Commission voted former Black Fox Elementary PTO president Amanda Lee onto the Bradley County School Board.
Ms. Lee will represent the 6th District. She is replacing Christy Critchfield, who resigned after the board voted 4-3 to terminate former superintendent Johnny McDaniel's contract.
The commission had narrowed the candidates down to Ms. Lee and former commissioner Mel Griffith.
Commissioner Bill Winters said he supported Ms.
Lee because of the way she mobilized the community after the area was hit by a tornado several years ago. He said she was immediately out at the school, organizing ways to get help to those in need.
He also said, "It doesn't take a Ph.D to be on the school board. It takes someone who loves kids and supports teachers."
Commissioner Terry Caywood also said that, while he believed either candidate would do well, he liked that Ms. Lee has children in the school system. He said this would help her vote to do what is best for the students.
She said after the vote, "When I first turned in my resume for this position, I prayed for God's will...I want to assure you that I don't take this lightly. I promise that I am going to do everything that I can, not just for the kids in my district but for every kid in Bradley County."
During the meeting, the commission also voted to increase the salaries of firefighters. Over the past weeks, the commission has discussed the problem of firefighters training in Bradley County but leaving to pursue higher-paying jobs elsewhere.
Commissioner Caywood said, "It really bothers me that we have firemen who start out at $24,000 - that's not enough money."
The salary increase comes from a tax of $.4712 on every $100 of taxable property in fire districts one and two.
When the resolution passed, the firefighters in the room burst into applause.