Jim Vincent
Shortly after turning in a guilty plea in Federal Court, former Rhea County Executive George Thacker turned in his resignation to County Attorney Carol Ann Baron. By 3:30 p.m., County Clerk Linda Shaver had sworn in County Commission Chairman Jim Vincent as the new county executive.
Mr. Vincent also announced that he has turned in his petition to run for county executive in the Aug. 4 General Election.
Mr. Vincent represents District 7 in Rhea County. He was chosen by the County Commission in November 2019 to fill the remaining term of the late Ronnie Raper and was elected as the 7th District commissioner in April 2020 to finish the rest of the four-year term.
Mr. Vincent has a long history of public service starting when he served as County Commissioner for District 1 in Hamilton County. He then served four years in the Tennessee House of Representatives serving northern Hamilton and all of Rhea County. He has served as the building inspector for the county and as project manager overseeing the construction of the new Rhea County Justice Center.
Mr. Vincent decided to run for the seat after the qualifying deadline was extended following the Thacker withdrawal.
Mr. Vincent said he plans to bring all the governing bodies of Rhea County together as they each bring unique assets to the growth of Rhea County. The city of Dayton, Spring City, the city of Graysville and the unincorporated areas need to work as a cohesive unit for growth and quality of life, he said. Mr. Vincent stated, "We need to keep the values and honor the heritage of Rhea County as we look toward the future. We must keep our children and our schools in the forefront as we prepare our children to reach their full potential and give back to the community which nurtures and encourages them in their endeavors."
Mr. Vincent said he will bring professional leadership to the county executive office. He said he "has always governed from a strong conservative philosophy believing 'we the people' are the bedrock of our county and our country. Now is the time for Rhea County to become the strong, prosperous and vital county our citizens deserve."
Mr. Vincent who is originally from the Summer City area of Dayton Mountain, lives in the Old Washington Community on his farm.
Thursday afternoon, Thacker had appeared in front of District Court Judge Charles Atchley Jr. Thacker was solemn and talked very softly as he answered questions by Judge Atchley and stood with his head down next to his attorney Lee Davis as prosecutor Kyle Wilson read the government’s statement of facts in the case. He will appear back in court on Sept. 22 at 9 am for his sentencing hearing.
Judge Atchley advised Thacker that there was not a minimum set in his case, he could face up to 20 years along with $250,000 in fines and supervised release after his penitentiary sentence. Prosecutor Wilson said the government plans on recouping the $650,000 in PPE money that was paid to Thacker from loans from Regions Bank and The Small Business Administration.
Thacker was released on a $30,000 unsecured bond.
Jim Vincent is sworn in by County Clerk Linda Shaver as his wife Marilyn looks on