By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–At a busy meeting Monday evening, the Henry County Commission unanimously appointed Russ Orr of Puryear to the County School Board representing District 1.
Orr is appointed to fill the unexpired term vacated by Junior Staggs, who earlier resigned. Orr’s term will last through August 31, 2022.
Orr said to the commission before the vote that he is a lifelong Henry County resident and is “invested in the school system.” Orr’s wife, Wendy is a fourth grade teacher at Harrelson and they have a son, who is a Henry County High School senior and a daughter who is a freshman at Grove.
“I know these are tough times for people,” Orr said, “but I’m only interested in helping the students and the county. I have no agenda beyond that.”
Three persons originally took out applications for the position, but the other two withdrew.
In other business:
–The commission heard a report on redistricting from Mike Galey from the County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS). Galey prefaced his remarks by noting that redistricting is required every 10 years and noted the purpose of redistricting is to ensure that the county’s districts are compact and contiguous.
A county redistricting committee already has been appointed and its members are County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway, County Attorney Rob Whitfield, Elections Administrator DeLaina Green, and Commissioners James Travis, Kenneth Humphreys, Marty Visser, Drew Williams and Randy Gean.
The committee will meet at 4 p.m. October 4 at the courthouse to draw the districts.
Galey said once plans are drawn by the committee, they will come to the full county commission for approval, then will be forwarded to the state, then brought back for re-drawing precincts for the county.
According to the latest census, the population for Henry County is 32,199, Galey said, District 2 is the only district that will not be changing at all,.
Ridgeway said after the meeting, “We don’t expect any big issues. District 4 will probably grow larger by moving its boundary east a bit. District 3 will shrink a bit. District 1 will get a little bigger. These are things that will be discussed at the october 4 meeting.”
–The commission approved a purchase option agreement for the Paris-Henry County Industrial Committee to acquire land for a prospective new industry.
Rob Goad, Executive Director of the Paris Henry County Industrial Committee, said he has been in discussion with a prospective industry for some four months, trying to find suitable land on which to build. He said the industry needs some 25 acres of land and will product 25 jobs to start.
The agreement will only be exercised if jobs are produced and the property is developed, Goad said. “We just ask that you reserve the property for two years.” The property in question is located in the Plumbly/Dana area near the Henry County Rescue Squad.
–The commission updated the uniform allowance policy for the sheriff’s office.
–The commission approved an Interlocal Agreement with the city of Paris to purchase additional land for the landfill area. The city of Paris already approved its part of the agreement at its last meeting.
Photo: Russ Orr addresses the county commission. (Shannon McFarlin photo)