Rhea County Commission honors late Commissioner Thomas 'Tommy' Ballard with proclamation

The Rhea County Commission opened its workshop by recognizing the public service of former Commissioner Thomas "Tommy" Ballard, accepting a proclamation read by visiting state legislators.

Senator Adam Road and Representative Travis presented the proclamation, praising Ballard’s long service and describing him as an "exemplary public servant" who left an "indelible legacy of integrity." The commissioners and family members were invited forward for photographs after the reading. Senator Road and Representative Travis said the state speakers plan to run a second, signed proclamation in Nashville and will notify the county when that document is filed and read into the state record.

Representative Travis said the proclamation honors Ballard "as an exemplary public servant, consummate professional who worked arduously to improve the quality of life for his fellow citizens." The presenters asked the commission and family to accept the county’s recognition and to expect a formal, signed state-level proclamation in the coming weeks.

After the presentation, one of the presenters noted progress on a fentanyl-related bill and told the commission the state is seeing reductions in some criminal-justice distributions related to fentanyl enforcement, thanking local law enforcement for their work.

The commission then returned to workshop business, placing several items on future agendas and continuing with planned committee discussion.