Boyd Asks Coppinger For Public Apology; Does Not Get One

County Commissioner Tim Boyd on Wednesday morning read a letter in which he asked County Mayor Jim Coppinger for a public apology. However, he did not get one.

Instead, County Mayor Coppinger called remarks last Wednesday by Commissioner Boyd that the county mayor had $4.4 million in discretionary funds "ridiculous."

He said that money includes such items as the Humane Educational Society, the Chamber of Commerce, the Bessie Smith Hall, and the Armed Forces Day Parade. He said those were all good allocations, with some originating from the County Commission.

Commissioner Boyd said the apology was needed after Mike Compton, the county mayor's chief of staff, last Wednesday exhibited "the most disrespectful and unprofessional display of anger ever directed toward an elected official or perhaps anyone in the history of this room."

He said, "It was by the mayor's chief of staff, who works directly for the mayor."

Commissioner Boyd said, "His actions were inexcusable. His use of profanity and the disrespect displayed toward me or anyone in this chamber must not be tolerated."

He added, "In this room we expect civil and professional manners, showing a high level of mutual respect."

Commissioner Boyd said the $4.4 million he referred to could be considered discretionary because the items were not state-mandated.

County Mayor Coppinger did not directly address the call for the apology, but said, "It's time to stop arguing and get back to work. It's gotten to be so petty that I feel like I'm back in junior high school."

He also voiced his support for the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA). Commissioner Boyd had questioned high raises for several WWTA officials and called the agency the worst in the county.

The county mayor said he looked into the WWTA raises and was told they had not been adjusted for a lengthy time and were put on a scale with other county employees.

He said the WWTA has to put into place EPA and TDEC regulations and wound up with having to fix problems with leaky home sewer lines. He said without the work of the WWTA "we would not be able to build anywhere in this county."