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Hamblen County commissioners debate road-commission attendance rule after public accusations of unlawful pay
Summary
Commissioners and members of the public clashed over whether a new private act removes an attendance requirement for road commission pay; the mayor’s office said finance will not pay commissioners who did not attend meetings and the commission voted to proceed with the private act process (effective Sept. 1, 2028).
Hamblen County commissioners spent substantial time Nov. 20 debating whether a recently drafted private act removes an attendance requirement for road commission members to receive pay, after public comments accusing several road commissioners of receiving unlawful payments for meetings they did not attend.
The debate began during public comment when Gwen Holden accused “the greedy 5” — naming five road commissioners — of being paid for four 2020 road commission meetings they did not attend and said the county attorney had billed to defend those payments. “The greedy 5 need to pay them $4,600 back,” Holden said.
Commissioner Green removed the minutes from the consent calendar to raise a legal concern: she said the new private act does not expressly require attendance for payment and risks repeating prior unlawful payments. “The old law required them to attend. It’s not in this new one,” Green said, urging the commission to amend the draft before it goes to the state.
County Attorney Chris Capps and the mayor’s office clarified the process and timing. Officials said the private act must go to the state and will not take effect until Sept. 1, 2028. The mayor’s office and finance department signaled they will not authorize pay for commissioners who did not attend meetings. “They will not be paid without attending,” a county official said.
During the discussion commissioners cited a CTAS (County Technical Assistance Service) review and noted the private act language is intended to carry the county through to the 2028 effective date without abridging existing terms. After debate, the commission voted on the matter and moved forward with the private act process while the mayor and finance office reiterated that attendance-based payment controls remain in effect under current law until the new act takes force.
What happens next: the private act will be sent to the state for approval; commissioners and members of the public may continue to press for language changes addressing attendance and repayment of alleged unlawful payments during future committee or commission sessions.
