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Wlaf1450By Charlotte Underwood
JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- At Monday’s County Commission meeting, upon the recommendation of exiting County Mayor Jack Lynch, commissioners approved a budget amendment creating a full-time position for an economic, community and workforce development director, hiring Randy Brown for that position. Brown, who is the exiting deputy mayor, currently fills that position in a part-time capacity, according to Lynch, who said creating the position was needed to “ensure the continued economic success the county has seen in the past four years under the direction of Brown who has been working with United Rare Earths, the East Tennessee Development District towards a grant that will build infrastructure for the Campbell County Industrial Park.
TOP PHOTO: Randy Brown, left, addresses the county commission at a meeting in May. Brown, the deputy mayor, is with Johnny Bruce, commission chairman.
Commissioner Dewayne Baird was the only dissenting vote on this motion. Baird said he felt the move was “bad politics” and cited that the current commission with 10 members soon to be replaced was a “lame duck commission.”
“It’s not fair to the new commission coming in to be stuck with the decision on this; this is not an emergency, it is something that could wait and I think it should be tabled till next month, I do not think it is fair to the new commission coming in and is wrong and is bad politics. I like Randy a lot, it is not about that, it is just bad politics and unfortunately, I can’t vote for this and it kills me not to, but we are basically a lame duck commission,” Baird said.
He asked Lynch why it was just now being discussed to create a new position.
“I’ve been working the whole time son, I didn’t know I was leaving, but here I am and it’s time to do something … and you are not creating a new position, it’s been there the whole time,” Lynch responded.
At the beginning of Monday’s meeting, before this motion was voted on, newly elected County Mayor Jimmy Jeffries asked to address the commission about the commission’s intent to create the full-time position and to vote on hiring Randy Brown.
Jeffries said he felt like as the newly elected mayor and with 10 new commissioners taking office in “roughly two weeks” that the decision to interview someone for that position should be left up to the newly elected officials.
“In roughly two weeks, we have 10 new commissioners and a new mayor and everyone that I have spoken with and I feel the same way, the incoming commission should be able to interview and hire for that position; not saying it wouldn’t be Mr. Brown, everything I know about Mr. Brown, he is a very good man and he is a very competent man, not saying it wouldn’t be him, but the new commission and the new mayor will be the body that will be working with that person for the next four years and I would like to ask that you put that off and let the new commission vote on that,” Jeffries said.
According to Lynch, the Campbell County Director of Workforce development would create new businesses, working with local government, the Campbell County Industrial Development Board and Joint Economic Community Development Board, the chamber of commerce, as well as applying for grants for economic growth and promoting the county for community development, revitalizing downtowns, business management, planning for community development research and data analysis, among multiple other responsibilities.
“The role and responsibly would be to strengthen the economy and attract businesses,” Lynch said.
Lynch said the county mayor’s office and Brown was currently working with grants “right now for a large grant that would provide infrastructure for the newly created Campbell County Industrial Park.
“I make the recommendation that you already have a person in place part time and that’s Randy Brown and I recommend he go full time,” Lynch said.
Commissioner Dewayne Baird asked why it was not discussed during budget cycle.
He said he felt it was bad timing and should have been done sooner not right as 10 current commissioners and the current county mayor was exiting their offices.
Lynch said he made the recommendation to continue the economic success of the county and for no other reasons. He went over some of the projects in the works or that were happening.
“During this time right now, we are working for grants for the new industrial park, that grant should go in October, we have United Rare Earths on the way with investments and continues to build, Gold Creek Foods has announced a new line and storage facility expansion and has already invested $19 million in the community. Traxion Materials Recycling has completed all their state mandated paperwork for workforce upgrades and announced last week of 49 new jobs and an expansion,” Lynch said.
Baird asked if the new commission wanted to change what the commission had done if they could and Commission Chairman Johnny Bruce said yes, if they wanted to they could.
Commissioner David Adkins gave his opinion briefly, saying he always tried to serve the county with integrity. He said he “did not necessarily disagree with what Commissioner Baird said.”
“I try to be selfless in my decisions … I think when we are halfway or even farther along in the process of getting the grants for this industrial park established, I am afraid the change in leadership would be detrimental to that process. Like the mayor said, we are not creating the position, we are just extending it. I am not being disrespectful of the administration that is coming up, I have full respect for them, but if it’s about what’s best for Campbell County you have to set politics aside. We have a chance at a real Industrial Park up there and if that falls though, then all the jobs and all the businesses, then we have no place to put them, it’s my two cents for what it’s worth,” Adkins said. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-08/18/2026-6AM)