Roads and dogs topped the topics of the Rhea County Commission monthly meeting along with the absence of County Executive George Thacker.
Thacker's county-owned vehicle was parked out in the lot of the Phil Swafford County Annex building.
During public comment, Barbara Clayburn brought up the big issue of the growing dog problem in Rhea County.
Ms. Clayburn said that she has been attacked three times by dogs while she was walking her own dog on a leash. She said, "In April of 2000 I was attacked. A woman opened her door and let her dog out and then went back inside and it bit me. In April 2021 I was attacked by a German Shepherd while I was walking and then just a few weeks ago I was attacked on Pikeville Avenue."
Richard Neal, animal control officer for the city of Dayton, said there are three animal control officers to cover 400 square miles of Rhea County.
“You may be out on Grandview and get a call on Brayton Mountain, That’s a good 45-minute drive. We don’t see any more help coming. The two county officers not only have to answer calls but maintain the animal shelter in Evensville,” said Mr. Neal.
He added the city of Graysville was in the process of getting a truck for animal control but did not know where they were on that.
Tony Knox, who is also a commissioner for the city of Graysville, came before the commission and asked when they were going to fix the roads in the south end of the county.
“Were tired of being left out, “said Mr. Knox. He continued on pointing out that Brayton Mountain Road was in bad need of repair as was something to remedy getting out of Graysville on either end of the town to Highway 27.
“They are going to have to have the Hamilton County Fair on the McDonald Farm this year and it's really going to be hard to get on to Highway 27 with all the traffic,” said Knox. Commissioner Bill Hollin added later in the meeting that on Wednesday the state legislature is looking at voting on a measure that would give $2 million to counties that are in bad need of road repair from an excess in last year's gas tax. The House Bill 1915 sponsored by Rick Eldridge from Morristown and co-sponsored by Rep Ron Travis of Dayton in the House and Senator Ken Yager in the Senate, appropriates excess state tax revenues from fiscal year 2021–2022 to the Department of Transportation to be used to make grants in the amount of $2 million to each county highway department for the construction, repair and improvement of county roads. According to the fiscal note attached to the bill, a onetime transfer of $190,000,000 will be made to the highway fund for this grant.
Only one person in the public comment section of the meeting mentioned Thacker at all. Tracey Smith started out with mentioning that she has had an issue with pit bulls. “It's been 15 years ago I called the Sheriff’s Department and they said there was nothing they could do about the problem.”
She then started in on Thacker. “I have looked up his history. In 2011 he was arrested in a prostitution sting in Knoxville. In 2019 the State Auditors found he illegally used county money on a Christmas Party for the employees. And now we have another issue with him. I don’t want one dime of my money going to support him or pay his salary.” said Ms. Smith.
Commissioners did approve a purchase not to exceed $50,000 to replace an aging water tanker in the South end of the County. Emergency Management Director Brad Harrison said the current tanker that is stationed in Morgantown is a 1981 model that won't pump and may or may not make it to the fire. The new tanker will be a 2007 Peterbuilt truck with a 2,300-gallon tank that they have found in Arizona. The funds will come out of the old Hotel/Motel tax that was collected prior to the change in the law
Commission Chairman Vincent created a committee consisting of Commissioners Phillip Dunn, Leo Stephens, Sandy Fransisco to look into finding a plot for a potter's field for indigent persons from land that the county owns.
Commission voted to refinance the bond issue for the new Rhea County High School. Kelley Morgan, finance director, said it would save the county $2.4 million.