Photo: John Penn Ridgeway at left, accepts the award from Charles Elizondo. Shannon McFarlin photo.
By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–At a busy meeting Monday evening of the Henry County Commission, former County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway was honored with the Loyal Patriot Award as new County Mayor Randy Geiger took his seat as County Commission Chairman.
Vice Chair Charles Elizondo has been serving as Interim County Commission Chair for several months during the transition and County Attorney Rob Whitfield commended Elizondo for the job he has done, especially during the negotiations with West Tennessee Healthcare.
“I want to commend Charles Elizondo for his diligence as he served as Interim County Mayor and Interim County Commission Chairman. It’s a thankless job, which Mr. Ridgeway knows and Mayor Geiger will know soon. A lot goes on behind the scenes.”
The Loyal Patriot Award is the highest award that can be bestowed upon a Henry County citizen and it was a turnabout for Ridgeway, who has presented the award to several people during his service as county mayor. Ridgeway is now the Director of TCAT Henry/Carroll.
Commissioner Dell Carter said at the end of the meeting that he has worked under two “great mayors” (Brent Greer and Ridgeway) “and this one (Geiger) is going to be great, too. I know we’ve had a hard time, all of us, through the hospital thing, but it’s time to go forward with a new mayor and some new commissioners.”
In other business:
–Geiger said there has been positive reaction from the public to the four-way stop put in by TDOT at the Hwy. 69N/218 bypass intersection near the Henry County Airport. He said TDOT still does plan to install a round-about there, though, in the future.
–Geiger said updating will be done with county reference documents, the personnel handbook, planning commission subdivision regs, and court fee schedules, and reviewing all boards and committees to determine which ones are needed.
–The commissioners approved transfer of property for the Henry County Health Department by warranty deed and interlocal agreement.
The land is behind the Henry County Medical Center and in the vacant lot across from the new Carey Counseling Center. According to the resolution, HCMC and Henry County agree that the construction of such County Health Department or Emergency Medical Services facility on the land shall be completed prior to October 1, 2029 (and any extension which may be mutually agreed on) and if the land is not used for such purpose within such time frame to convey it back to HCMC. The transfer is effective October 1, 2024. HCMC and West Tennessee Healthcare Henry County entered into an Operations Transfer Agreement dated July 31, 2024, which contemplates HCMC’s transfer of hospital and healthcare operations to West Tennessee and HCMC’s lease of real property to West Tennessee effective October 1, 2024.
—The commissions approved a capital outlay note in the amount of $700,635. The note is itemized this way: Airport, $25,000; Building Improvements $479,000; Motor Vehicles $171,228; Other Capital Outlay $25,407.
–Approved was surplus property through sheriff’s office auction and the sale of delinquent tax properties was approved.