2013 high school football schedule, 3b
Should congress take a pay cut?, 6A
Independent Appeal
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Volume 110, Number 43, Wednesday, March 13, 2013
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Bethel maintains status quo
Inside This Week
‘Let’s put an end to this before I have to put someone in jail’ By Christen Coulon Managing Editor
The Bethel Springs Board of Aldermen held their scheduled meeting last Monday night. The meeting opened on a positive note with former Mayor Norma Smith presenting disaster relief information to the board. Smith reported that volunteer organizations had already contributed more than $500,000 in labor to the town following January’s tornado. She also said that in addition to helping clear debris, United Methodist Committee on Relief still had 10 people who filed work orders to have their homes fixed and that repairs would be done on an as needed basis. In addition, UMCOR and the Tennessee Department of Transportation submitted a plan to work together to clear debris from right of ways at no cost to the town. Under the plan the city would have to accept some legal liability in the cleanup.
juvenile wrecks suv near ramer
The board accepted this proposal contingent upon their insurance coverage. And then, the arguing began. The meeting, which in total ran nearly three hours, saw audience and board members openly arguing with one another for the remainder of the night. Following former mayor Smith’s presentation, the board turned its attention to approving the minutes and paying the bills. Each of these tasks would be a mere formality at any other municipal legislative meeting, but not at Bethel Springs. During the approval of the minutes, board member Sherry Smith amended several items which were apparently misinterpreted in the minutes from last month’s marathon meeting. During the financial statement and bill pay portion of the meeting, several board members inquired about individual bill payments, and then
See Bethel Springs, 3A
Kids Fest fills the park, inaugural event huge success
Monday afternoon crash still under investigation
PAGE 5A
AHS hosts Softball playday AHS, MCHS prepare for regular season PAGE 1B
winning wine Staff Photo by Christen Coulon
Local man takes home three wine making awards PAGE 4A
The crowd at last Saturday’s McNairy Regional Alliance Kids Fest trips the light fantastic to Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” The event itself was a huge hit among area children who were treated to games, booths, rides and more at the inaugural Kids Fest. Several notable children’s characters were also in attendance including Spongebob Squarepants, Elmo, Dora the Explorer, Captain America, the Cat in the Hat and Things 1 and 2. For more photos of this year’s Kids Fest see PAGE 2A.
update
County commission tables budget committee request for $50 wheel tax By Jeff Whitten
Selmer Board recesses Garland appeal
Head News Writer
The McNairy County Commission at their meeting last Monday tabled a Budget Committee proposal to levy a $50 wheel tax. The vote was 13-6 with Commissioners Kevin Lipford, Tammy Dillon, Keith Jernigan, Brenda Cauley, Wilburn Gene Ashe, Billy Brown, Neal Burks, Jay Weatherford, Stevie Clark, Charlie Garrison, Anthony Smith, Kenneth Amerson and James McNeil voting to table and Commissioners Troy Moore, Stan Wheeler, Steve Browder,, Fred Carroll and Jeff Lipford voting against the motion to table. Of the $50, $20 or $480,000 per year would have gone to the school building program, $11 or $264,000 to the General Fund, $10 or $240,000 to road building and maintenance, $4 or $96,000 to economic development for land acquisition and development, $2.50 or $60,000 each for fire protection to hire a county fire chief and to raise ISO ratings and for county building maintenance. The motion to table came about because of a rule adopted at an earlier meeting that commissioners would have at least two weeks to consider any proposal. The commission can consider the proposal at the next meeting if it votes to take it off the table. Commissioner Jeff Lipford was supportive of the plan.
The Selmer Board of Aldermen, at the request of former Selmer policeman Quentin Garland and his attorney D. J. Norton, recessed his appeal of his termination last Monday. The appeal was recessed pending his March 21 date in General Sessions Court to face a domestic assault charge. Garland waived the requirement that his hearing be within 20 days of his termination.
In an email to the Independent Appeal Lipford said, “This plan addresses the present and future needs of the McNairy County. We must update our schools, fund the maintenance and building of roads, increase ISO ratings for lower home insurance ratings, maintain the current county buildings, purchase and develop land for industry, and provide for essential services our citizens need. We haven’t been meeting these needs for the past few years.” The commission can pass the tax by a two-thirds vote in two consecutive meetings, can ask the Tennessee General Assembly to pass it by private act or the voters can vote on it if ten percent of the voters in the last Governor’s election sign a petition asking for the referendum. The commission voted to ask the state legislature to remove the current $20 wheel tax. The revenues from this tax, which was passed by private act of the legislature, were dedicated to paying off the debt incurred in building the Justice Center. This debt will be retired at the end of this month, and the revenues can only be used to for this purpose. All surrounding counties have a higher wheel tax than the expiring one, and two of the three have higher wheel taxes than the proposed wheel tax. Hardin County’s wheel tax is $47, Chester’s is $65.35 and Hardeman’s is $80.
z Opinion 6A z Obituaries 7A z Events 7A z Community 8A z Lifestyles 8A z Sports 1B z Campus 5B z Courtroom 6B z Classifieds 8B Wed - 50/27 Sunny
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