.jpg)
Wlaf1450Commission retracts property from IDB after concern about tire grinding business
By Charlotte Underwood
JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- At Monday’s County Commission meeting, commissioners approved a motion retracting industrial property in Jellico from the Industrial Development Board and retracting the sale of that property to a company that intended to install a tire grinding business. The property is next to the rail spur in Oswego.
There were multiple concerned citizens from the 5th District in the audience attending the meeting.
At the beginning of the meeting, Commission Chairman Johnny Bruce read a letter from 5th district Commissioner Mike Douglas who was unable to attend Monday’s meeting. Douglas made a request to fellow commissioners to not sell the property for the intended purpose of a tire grinding business. The two other 5th District Commissioners Derek Sharp and Tyler King echoed that wish.
In his letter, Douglas said that “after more information and concerns from the surrounding community” his wish was that the property would not be sold.
King asked Commissioner Rusty Orick if his motion could be amended to state that the land would not be sold at all.
“A few months ago, we had actually looked at a company buying the property from the county over in Jellico. We had actually decided to send that to IDB which is the Industrial Development Board; it is my understanding there are only two ways for us to dispose of property, one is surplus and the other is IDB, which they work out agreements, but in light of what we been hearing and what we been seeing, we discussed it last week about retracting it from IDB and they have not signed anything or done any agreements,” Orick said. He also said he would accept Commissioner Tyler King’s amendment to his motion, which is that “the county does not want to sell the property at this time.”
The vote passed in a 12 to one vote, with Charles Baird the only no vote. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-10/21/2025-6AM)