UC Leaders Return From Tennessee County Services Association Conference

Several Upper Cumberland leaders are back from Gatlinburg with more knowledge on the state’s new Highway Department funding plan.

Jackson County Mayor Randy Heady said this year’s Tennessee County Services Association conference highlighted how to apply the money to local projects. He said Jackson County is set to receive some $2 million in state aid to put towards state aid roads and bridges projects.

“Now that we’ve got this new bill passed, that’s going to free up more money to fix some of these projects that have been sitting for 10-plus years in some cases,” Heady said. “They did the gas tax law back a few years ago, and all that money’s gone.”

Heady said the conference also discussed the funding allocated for school safety. He said they were disappointed that the local sales tax bill fell through, but hope that something can be done about it next year.

Heady said he believes this is the best conference a county leader, commissioner, or highway superintendent can attend all year. He said there is no better place to meet with fellow county leaders to discuss the latest legislation and help one another work through issues their own counties are facing.

“There’s 94 other people in the state that know exactly what you’re going through and that is correct,” Heady said. “There’s 95 counties and 95 mayors, and we’re the only ones that know what we’re going through at this time. And a lot of us have the same kind of problems, some of us have different problems, but most of us have similar issues that we’re going through in our counties.

Heady was joined by Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster, White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson, and Fentress County Executive Jimmy Johnson.