Wheel tax numbers revealed, appointments also made

By RANDALL ALLEN

Horizon Reporter

CELINA-County commissioners remembered Ann Deckard during their November meeting, and also discussed the latest developments concerning a new jail and appointed people to various positions.

Commissioners began their meeting with a special remembrance of the late sanitation department director, where they presented a plaque to members of Deckard’s family.

“We want to do something in memory of Ann, our solid waste director,” county mayor Dale Reagan said.  “She left us a few months ago, she battled that battle with cancer for a long time, (and) we had a plaque made and we want to… show our appreciation.

“She really loved recycling and sure loved the Christmas tree ornament contest for the kids,” Reagan continued.  “She took pride in making our county clean and efforts to encourage recycling throughout our county.  She will be missed by us all.”

Jail, wheel

tax update

Also at the meeting, commissioners were given a copy of the latest wheel tax figures, which show a total of $768,128.63 earmarked for future operations of a new jail and $980,478.15 earmarked for the debt service of a new jail.

“That money is still there,” Reagan said regarding the wheel tax collections.  “It has not been bothered or anything.”

He then spoke about the architectural firm and plans, explaining funds paid to Cope Architecture for blueprints of the jail were paid out of a grant. 

“The basic plan, they like that plan, we just need to squash it in a bit,” he said in reference to the new proposed jail site being close to the county offices.

The mayor then spoke about the loan.

“I know we have to start this thing all over again,” he said.  “We are going to see what they (municipal loan pool) will offer us.

“They will do a loan for 30 years. Now USDA will go 40 years. That will help with the payments.”

Reagan proceeded to explain the comparison between a USDA loan and a loan from the municipal loan pool.

“If we can manage this thing, the municipal loan pool is not hardly as restrictive as far as, USDA we have to go through a lot of things, environmental stuff… a whole lot of things,” he said. “The loan pool doesn’t require us to do all that.

“They don’t require us to hire a supervisor to be onsite every day.”

Reagan told the board that not using a daily site supervisor would save the county approximately $100,000.

Reagan said he expects to be ready for the loan “probably this spring.”

“If this works, I feel good about it and I think you all (county commissioners) do,” he said.

Reagan also explained the facia of the new jail facility will match the look of the current county government office exterior.

The option of building the new jain near the government complex, as opposed to the previously-chosen site between Dura Plastics and Industrial Park Lane at 3670 Gainesboro Highway, was introduced at July’s commission meeting and also discussed further at the September meeting of the legislative body.

The latest news concerning the new jail comes over a decade after the first official action was taken in the summer of 2012.

A bid to build the jail at the Gainesboro Highway location came in at almost $19 million earlier this year and was officially rejected by county commissioners in March.

The wheel tax to be used to pay back a loan for a new jail and to fund future operations was levied by commissioners in January of 2020, before it began being collected three months later.

Positions

now filled

Several county positions were also filled during the November meeting.

Commissioner Dorothy Forney made a motion to appoint Kyle Haney as the Clay County EMA Director.  Commissioner Jeff Gentry seconded the motion, and it passed 8-0.

Forney also made a motion to appoint commissioners Liz Boles and Winton Young to the Clay County Park and Recreation Board.  Commissioner Bryan Coons seconded the motion, and it passed 8-0.

Coons made a motion to appoint Lois Turner as the Clay County Complex Park Director.  Commissioner Jennifer Ritter seconded the motion, and it passed 8-0.

Additionally, commissioners approved reducing the speed limit of JT Daniels Road to 20 mph.

They also approved a resolution to declare property as surplus to be sold to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Both motions passed with an 8-0 vote.

Commissioners Mark Poindexter and Liz Boles were not present during the meeting.