Wlaf1450JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – Thirteen county commissioners, Mayor E. L. Morton and a handful of other county officials gathered Thursday evening at the courthouse for a special called commission meeting that was over in less than 15 minutes.
The commissioners met to vote again on their redistricting plan that was first approved on Sept. 20 but then vetoed by Morton. In Morton’s memorandum, he said the redistricting resolution as drafted had a space for his signature where he stated “I think it is appropriate for the chairman (of the commission) to be co-signatory.”
Morton then wrote that he had received “several calls from concerned citizens asking to revisit the process.” He also said that while the commission’s redistricting meetings were legally conducted and properly posted in the media, no members of the public, “particularly from affected communities,” had attended the meetings.
Instead of the plan approved by the commission, Morton suggested that the commission re-align county districts from the current five into three or six districts.
The major bone of contention appears to be the inclusion of a part of LaFollette into the fifth district, dominated by Jellico and the rural area of Stinking Creek, White Oak and Wynn. The fifth district currently stops at Ivydell but under the new plan, would continue on Highway 25W through Big Creek Gap and turn southwest to take in the communities in LaFollette along the base of Walden Ridge including Iron Street.
The 2020 Census results showed that the 5th District had lost population while LaFollette had grown to the point where there was more than the legally allowed 10 percent deviation between voting districts, making a shift in district boundaries necessary by state and federal laws.
Commissioner Scott Kitts, who represents the 2nd District, loudly protested the plan at the September meeting and again Thursday night.
After the meeting was called to order, Commissioner Rusty Orick made a motion to override Morton’s veto and approve the original plan. An attempt to make the motion a unanimous second failed when Kitts protested, but he was alone in voting against the motion, which passed 12-1 with Commissioners Tyler King and Robert Higginbotham absent.
The newly drafted resolution also leaves the mayor’s name off as a signatory, replaced as he suggested by Chairman Johnny Bruce. The plan will now be submitted to the state for approval and become official before the next election. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 10/01/2021-6AM)