County Charter Petition Delivered To County Officials

Today I hand delivered the petitions for the County Charter to County Officials. Originals went to the County Clerk with copies delivered to the office of Administrator of Elections.
The next step is for people interested in serving on the committee that writes the Charter to get qualified through the elections office. One person per district will be elected in the next election. These seven elected officials will write the Charter and present it for approval by the voters of Giles County. When this process is completed the committee will be dissolved and the Charter adopted.
Much appreciation is due those men and women who worked so hard and long getting this completed and much gratitude is due those who looked past the antics of some in opposition to sign the petitions and seek to more Giles County into a position that is more reflective of the people instead of the politicians.
Look for and plan to attend informational meetings to be held in the near future at different locals.
Allen Barrett

Is There A Pattern Forming?

Is there a pattern forming to deal with unacceptable results?
We saw it when the people made a clear statement that they did not want county wide zoning. We saw it with the Financial Management Act when the people voted overwhelmingly in favor of adoption. We saw it again when the people voted not to raise the sales tax to build Sam Davis Stadium. It seems if you are in charge and don't like the results of a vote you just cause it to be redone until its more to your liking.

What happened yesterday takes this process another step closer to a total detach from the people and even in this case from the County Commission. After the County Commission voted not to change the distance between churches/schools and places that serve alcoholic beverages the County Executive has taken it upon herself to nullify that vote and order the County Clerk to issue beer licenses to anyone applying for one with a distance greater than 400 feet between the seller and a school/church.
The County Executive gave a statement to WKSR, now posted on their website, in it she stated " she made a mistake in the meeting. “I used “Roberts Rules Of Order” to make the decision on the two-thirds vote, but after meeting with Doug Bodary with CTAS, it was learned that “Tennessee Codes Annotated” overrides my decision.” “I am very sorry for this confusion, In the future, I will make sure I study the Tennessee Codes and not rely entirely on “Roberts Rule Of Order.”

Several things need to be questioned about this decision.
1st after a vote is taken and the results recorded and announced and the meeting is adjourned in order to change that vote another vote must be taken.
2nd There is nothing in the CTAS manual that prohibits a 2/3 majority being required only identifies areas in which a 2/3 majority is required.
3rd The Tennessee Code Annotated states that in order to change a resolution already passed a 2/3 majority is required.
4th The history of CTAS reveals it to be nothing less than an instrument of whoever pays it's dues.
5th Making this arbitrary change without consulting with the County Commission places the County Executive in a position of power never envisioned by our rule of law.
6th Releasing this statement and making this change then not showing up for work so that questions might be asked of her is not only a cowardly political trick it is a slap in the face of every church/school in this county.
7th This appears to be nothing less than a political move to gain votes in the Campbellsville area by subverting the rules in order to allow the Campbellsville Store to sell alcoholic beverage for on and off premises consumption.
8th If after eight years serving as County Executive and still not knowing the rules required to govern can anyone make a legitimate claim of competency on the part of the County Executive?
Allen Barrett