Watson, Haynes receive recognition from County Mayor and Commission

By RANDALL ALLEN

Horizon reporter

CELINA-County commissioners addressed several issues and honored a pair of residents here at their April meeting last week.

Thomas Watson and Laney Haynes were recognized for their contributions to the community, a $15 million loan application for a new jail facility was approved, and an update on an the expansion of the Clay County Library and on delinquent taxes were also discussed.

The meeting began with the county commission honoring Watson for his work at the historic courthouse, before Haynes was recognized for being the first local to place in the top 10 at the State of Tennessee Fairest of the Fair pageant.

Both were given a plaque and a key to the county.

County commissioners then discussed the loan application for the new jail facility.

County Mayor Dale Reagan initially addressed commissioners and residents in attendance.

“I got USDA to send a breakdown of $12, $13, $14, and $15 (million), what the payment would be on the 40-year period at the 4.2% interest rate right now,” he said.  “Hopefully, once we get into this, if we don’t need the whole $15 million, we won’t take it.

“We will take whatever it takes to do it.  We don’t want to have to go back and redo another note.”

Reagan provided an update on terms of the financing.

“The debt payment, to let everybody know, on $15 million dollars at 4.2% interest, the annual payment would be $786,300 per year on that particular loan,” he said.

The mayor then explained how the jail would be paid for.

“The breakdown of the wheel tax, what the $22 goes toward, the operation of the new jail… that annually has brought in, a good average… about $214,300 per year,” Reagan said.  “We have 12 cents that has been going into the debt service on the property tax… it generates annually about $210,828.”

Reagan also outlined a plan to make up the shortfall in the budget by housing inmates from other counties and the state.

“I have always said since we started this project that we can’t do this, unless we (house) inmates to pay for the jail,” he said.  “On this breakdown, I have got it at 26 inmates that we would be generating $41 per day from the state at 345 days a year.

“We didn’t do 365 days, because we wanted a buffer in there.  That would annually bring in about $367,770.”

Commissioner Jennifer Ritter made a motion to apply for the USDA loan in an amount up to $15 million.  Commissioner Bryan Coons seconded the motion and it passed 9-1, with commissioner Austin Smith voting no.

Reagan told commissioners the county would begin the loan application process on April 10, 2025.

A large project involving the library was then discussed.

The Clay County Library is going to undergo an expansion, with a large percentage being funded by a Community Block Development Grant.

County commissioner and library board member Winton Young spoke about the project.

“We had a meeting on the 17th about adding on to the library,” Young said.  “All the board members voted for Cope (Architecture) to go forward with procedures to build onto the library.

“We are looking forward to meeting with them in a couple of weeks.”

Reagan explained how the library expansion was funded.

“Three-quarters of it was funded by grants,” he said.  “The library got a grant for a $1.7 million, (they) had $140,000 in their building fund, and we allocated $100,000 out of our ARP money.

“The match (for the grant) would be a little over $200,000, but we were able to come up with it so we could get that 1.7 million dollar grant.”

“The extension would be built onto the back side, where the parking lot is now,” Young said.  “They are hoping to start soon.”

Young made a motion to approve a resolution accepting recommendation for the UCDD to award the contract for the Clay County Connected Community Facility Library Expansion.  Commissioner Dorothy Forney seconded the motion and it passed 10-0.

Other business

Other miscellaneous business was also approved during the meeting.

Commissioners unanimously approved the trustee’s report and the turning over of delinquent taxes from 2023.

Trustee Angie Thompson told commissioners approximately 1% was turned over.

“That’s a good job,” Reagan said.  “As long as I have been here, it has never been 1%.”

Coons made a motion to approve a resolution lowering the speed limit on Union Hill Road to 45 MPH.  Forney seconded the motion and it passed 10-0.

Ritter made a motion to declare a 2009 Chevy ambulance as surplus property to be sold.  Commissioner Jerry Rhoton seconded the motion and it passed 10-0.

A budget amendment for the Clay County Highway Department and a budget amendment for the Clay County General Fund were also unanimously approved during the meeting.