Tag Archives: Ben Danner

Overton County, like many Upper Cumberland Counties are struggling to find and retain employees. County Executive Ben Danner said there was a time when the benefits included with a county job were viewed highly. However, with the push to raise wages in the private sector even falling flat in some industries, it is difficult to bring people in for emergency ... Read More »

Overton County will use money left over from the new county building for new highway department equipment. County Executive Ben Danner said that roughly $300,000 will be used to purchase new vehicles and mini-excavators. Danner said this is focused on the ice storm cleanup, with the county taking a different approach than it did in 2015. “We borrowed $1.3 million ... Read More »

A 300 foot stretch of Virgil Murphy Circle remains a county road after a petition to make it private was unanimously voted down Monday night. The Davey family had attorney Andrea Ayers present their case that it was not being maintained by the county and would not limit access to Waterloo Falls. However, County Executive Ben Danner said he and ... Read More »

Overton County will look to expand its ambulance services building to add sleeping quarters for its growing staff. The county was considering a property swap, but the prospective location on Highway 111 was valued $365,000 higher than the current ambulance services property. County Executive Ben Danner said the county can pay for the expansion with $350,000 left over from the ... Read More »

The Overton County Highway and Property Committee voted Thursday to auction the County Annex Building and land. County Executive Ben Danner said the building’s utility costs make it difficult to consider keeping it for storage. He said those costs stand at some $2,500 per month. “Even with everything cut down, it’s more than double what this new building is,” Danner ... Read More »

Overton County Commissioners approved a water-sewer easement Monday night for a proposed apartment development off Highway 84. A private developer wants to build 64 apartments behind the Overton County Highway Department. County Executive Ben Danner said the complex could be approved by this summer. “They’ve applied to the state and if they get approved, this will be a several million ... Read More »

Six different erosion problems across Overton County will be repaired after County Commissioners approved a $293,000 project Monday night. County Commissioner Darwin Clark said soil conservation teams selected the six areas that were subject to erosion or where flooding had occurred. Clark said the issues were along stream banks. “Basically it’s just going in and dig in the stream banks ... Read More »

The Overton County Commissioners monthly meeting moved outdoors Monday possibly for the first time in county history. Normally, the meeting is held in the county’s court room, but Judge Amy Hollars’ court was in session when the clock struck five o’clock for the meeting’s start time. With the commissioners standing idle, County Executive Ben Danner decided to move the meeting ... Read More »

The Overton County Sheriff’s Department will apply for a $40,000 grant that can be used to help upgrade some of the county’s existing buildings. County Executive Ben Danner said that even though a new county building is ready to open, some of the older facilities need security upgrades. “That will help us tremendously,” Danner said. “We don’t have the extra ... Read More »

The Overton County Commission passed its 2020-2021 budget with a 28-cent property tax cut Monday night. County Executive Ben Danner said good fiscal responsibility over the last six years led to the tax cut. He said a lot of credit has to go to how well the county’s debt has been managed. “Over the last six years, we’ve paid off ... Read More »