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County Approves Retirement Plan for Sheriff’s Department

Delays Approval of Redistricting

Posted

HUNTINGDON (October 18) — Carroll County commissioners approved an enhanced retirement plan for the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department and delayed the approval of a redistricting plan for the county commission districts during its October 18 meeting at the Carroll County Civic Center.

Sheriff Andy Dickson requested the enhanced retirement plan, which requires road deputies to retire at age 60 and provides a “bridge” payment to the officer until he or she reaches age 62, when the officer becomes eligible for Social Security.

Dickson said the majority of his officers favored the program. The sheriff said it mainly involves road deputies and is a similar program to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, that requires its officers to retire at age 60 and retire at the age of 55 - both with the provision of an mandated years of service. While the early retirees would not be eligible for the county’s health insurance, the sheriff said any officer can choose to switch to a corrections officer position, a dispatcher, or even custodian to continue on the insurance and with employment with the department.

Once road deputies reach the age of 60, they do not need to be out attempting to arrest people.

The supplemental bridge benefit offered through the state’s Tennessee Consolidated Retirement Program was approved by the commission on a 17 to 2 vote.

Following the 2020 U.S. Census, the county must reapportion its geographic commission districts to achieve equity in the population of the nine districts. Six districts have two commissioners and three districts have three commissions, including District 1 - West Carroll, District 5 - Huntingdon, and District 9 - McKenzie. District 8 and 9 in McKenzie are the smallest geographically and the most densely populated.

The goal of the Redistricting Committee was to equalize the number of representatives in relation to the 2020 Census. Some districts were slightly reconfigured to achieve equality. It was also the intent that no incumbent commissioner would be inadvertently eliminated from his or her district and could again choose to seek election in 2022 in that same district. After some discussion, commissioners could not determine whether or not Commissioner Ronnie Murphy was indeed in his same commission district based on viewing the small maps provided to the commissioners. The commission chose to defer the matter until November.

A non-binding resolution to “urge Tennessee’s Elected Leaders to Oppose the Federally Proposed Vaccine Mandate was approved by a vote of 10 to 8 with one pass. The Tennessee General Assembly will convene in a special session to vote on the matter.

Election commissioners received a $25 increase in their pay for each meeting they attend. They will now be paid $100 each per meeting, the same as members of the County Commission.

Mayor Joseph Butler was reelected chairman of the commission and Vince Taylor was elected chairman pro tempore. They will serve until September 2022.