.jpg)
Wlaf1450‘There’s nothing we can do better for our community development than help our children’-Jay Willoughby
By Charlotte Underwood
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- The Joint Economic Community Development Board met on Thursday evening, approving two charitable contributions, one for $10,000 to the Shop with a Cop program and another contribution of $2,000 to the East Tennessee Foundation to go to Campbell County Food banks.
At the start of Thursday’s meeting, JECDB chairman Jay Willoughby made several recommendations to the board regarding budget amendments.
“This is money that is in the budget that we need to redirect from certain line items to other line items,” Willoughby explained.
The first budget amendment was for $3,500 to be moved from the Legal/Audit fund over to the Contributions fund. According to Willougby, the JECDB had set aside $10,000 for the audit, but its cost came in less, leaving those funds to put into contributions. Another amendment approved was to move the $2,821.88 refund check from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) over to the Other Contracted Services fund.
This refund was from a study done by TDOT three or four years ago, that the JECDB had “been obligated” to pay for, according to Willoughby, who said the board had paid $10,000 for the study and this was the refund on that since it had come in under cost.
Also approved was to move $5,000 from Travel/Conference Expenses over to contributions to go towards the Shop with a Cop program and to move $13,000 from Other Charges to Other Contracted Services to help cover the costs of a TVA electrical study.
“The reason I am asking for these changes is Daniel Smith (Jacksboro Chief of Police) is in here, and he’s going to be asking for money for Shop with a Cop, and we are almost through with what has turned out to be a very successful fundraiser for our food banks here in the county. Mr. (Jeffrey) Willis with United Rare Earths … put up $10,000 as matching money to be used as a catalyst to encourage local folks to contribute to our food banks … even though the feds voted to reopen the government last night and they are saying they are going to get all the food stuff started back today, it’s not going to start back today – those wheels stopped and it’s going to take a lot of grease to get them rolling again; so there is going to be a time lapse in there where people are still going to be hurting” Willoughby said.
He went on to announce that through this fundraiser, yesterday a check was sent over to the East Tennessee Foundation for “right at $16,000.”
“We have had some more money come in today and Mr. Willis’s check should be here tomorrow and there will be some other money that we know of, we are going to have $30,000, maybe a little more than $30,000 that we know of and they are going to turn that money over real quick to the two major food banks this side of the mountain, they will cut them a check here within the next few days,” Willoughby said. The Crazy Quilt Catholic charity in Newcomb will also get funds, as will the Campbell County Senior Citizens Center in LaFollette. He said the numbers were estimates, but that the two food banks “on this side of the mountain” would get $10,000, the charity in Newcomb would get around $6,000 and the Senior Center’s meals on wheels program would get around $4,000.
Willoughby said he was proud of the county for stepping up to help those in need.
“I would like to ask this board, since we got that $2,800 back, I would like us to utilize a couple grand of that and donate it to the East Tennessee Foundation for this,” Willoughby said.
Final business approved on Thursday was for the JECDB to pay for the Tennessee Valley Authority $20,000 to do an electrical study on the 232 acres of land that will be the county’s next industrial park.
“We are getting close to closing on the 232 acres of what is going to be the county’s new industrial park up there on the 141 exit; TVA is requiring us to do an electrical analysis to see what the electrical capacity for that park is and what they are going to have to be able to do to get us the 15 mega watts of power that we are going to have in that park and they are going to charge $20,000. I have run all over the southeastern United States trying to get a waiver on that $20,000 and I cannot get a waiver on it – they said they will do the study on a fast track to get it over with, but they will not waive the $20,000 dollars,” Willoughby said.
The funds are coming out of this year’s budget, according to Willoughby, who said it “was not dipping into fund balance.”
He and other JECDB members said having this study done is integral in being able to recruit businesses to the industrial park; it was unanimously approved.
When the County’s Shop with a Cop was brought up, Campbell County Vice Mayor Randy Brown made a motion to fund the program at $10,000, double what was requested and the same amount the JECDB gave last year.
“They work hard with the schools, the principals, guidance counselors; they have a lot of names on that list, the need is out there and if we can, I would like to do like last year and double the amount,” Brown recommended.
This donation will cover “100 young people” getting Christmas gifts. This was also approved unanimously.
“There’s nothing we can do better for our community development than help our children,” Willoughby said.
Chief Daniel Smith thanked board members and announced that this year’s Shop with a Cop program would take place on December 11th and 12th from 6pm to 8pm.
According to Chief Smith, last year the program provided $100 each for nearly 400 children to shop with a cop at the local Walmart.
“We hope to do at least that many this year or more,” Smith said. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-11/14/2025-6AM)