Washington County commissioners confirm airport nominee, appoint temporary judicial commissioner and defer county-farm plan

The Washington County Board of Commissioners met in May 2026 and completed a slate of routine business while taking two personnel votes and deferring a contested county‑farm allocation for further committee review.

Mayor Grama nominated Todd Hensley to one of Washington County’s local seats on the newly constituted Tri‑Cities Airport Authority and the commission confirmed the mayor’s recommendation by roll call, 13 yes, 2 absent. The mayor said the change responds to recently passed state legislation that dissolves existing commercial‑airport boards and reconstitutes a 12‑member authority, and he described Hensley as “a member of the airport authority, a pilot and an aviation mechanic” who would provide continuity.

The commission also filled a vacancy on the county’s General Sessions judicial‑commissioner roster. Judges recommended Neva Hughes to the board, citing her roughly two decades of criminal‑justice experience and work in probation and bonding; the commission elected Hughes by acclamation to a 90‑day provisional appointment. Commissioner Wexler recorded an abstention because he previously rented property to the nominee; the abstention was noted by the clerk.

Commissioners voted to send a proposed amendment to prior county‑farm allocations back to County Owned Property committee for further review. Several commissioners said they had not seen a site plan or sufficient documentation in advance. Commissioner Jones said the record of the committee meeting did not accurately reflect discussion and asked for more time; the board moved and approved deferral so the committee can review plans and bring a recommendation at the next meeting.

On land‑use policy, the commission approved a resolution expressing support for pending state bills (Senate Bill 1771 and House Bill 1720) that would return zoning and subdivision authority in certain urban‑growth boundary areas to county government for properties outside municipal limits. Planning Director Angie Charles told commissioners the urban‑growth boundaries themselves would remain in place and that municipal zoning would continue to apply inside city limits; she said the county would take on subdivision and rezoning responsibilities for parcels outside municipal boundaries if the legislation becomes law.

The board approved several routine and emergency measures by roll call, typically 13 yes to 2 absent. Those included a confirmation vote for Rezoning Resolution 250501 (R‑1 to A‑1, single detached dwelling plus a detached accessory dwelling for Jean M. Butcher, ~7 acres), an extension of a waiver of building‑permit fees for property owners affected by Hurricane Helene, participation in a purchasing cooperative, surplus‑property dispositions, and interlocal and grant‑related measures. Public safety items included approval of an MOU with Johnson City for shared fire‑protection assistance and authorization to accept an electronic‑detection canine (Mabel) for the special‑victims unit; Investigator Megan Harkerose explained that Mabel is trained to locate the chemical TPPO associated with electronic storage devices and to comfort children during investigations.

During public comment, resident Matthew Paul urged the board to consider preserving the wooded portion of the county farm as one of the remaining public wild spaces and proposed light programming such as nature walks; he said the county farm’s cleared area had grown to about seven acres from an earlier 3.5‑acre footprint before flood damage. The commission acknowledged the remarks during discussion of county‑owned property and moved to gather more information before adopting changes to the farm’s allocation.

What’s next: the judicial‑commissioner appointment begins as a 90‑day provisional placement; the county‑farm allocation will be reviewed by County Owned Property committee and returned with a recommendation at a future meeting. The commission’s packet includes minutes and committee reports referenced during the meeting.