By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.—At a busy meeting Monday evening, the Henry County Commission honored the Patton brothers—Cam’ron and Demarccus—for their National Championship Titles in boxing at the USA National Boxing Championship earlier this month.
Sixteen-year-old Cam’ron Patton won the National Championship Title in the Youth Class and 13-year-old Demarccus Patton won the National Championship Title in the Intermediate Class. Over 1,100 boxers competed over nine days in the competition, held in Shreveport.
County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway read a proclamation declaring August 19, 2021 as Cam’ron and Demarccus Patton Day in Henry County.
In the proclamation, Ridgeway said Moon is “an integral part of our community with his enthusiasm for mentoring and coaching youth. Ridgeway noted that this was the second consecutive national title for Cam’ron, earning him the opportunity to train and compete with the U.S. Olympic youth team in the 2021 Junior Pan American Games to be held in September 2021. Demarccus now will also have the chance to join his older brother on the U.S. team next year.
After the proclamation was read, there was a standing ovation by the commissioners and audience for the Patton brothers and Coach Moon and Ridgeway said, “How awesome would it be if we have two Olympic hopefuls from right here?”
With opposition from some members and after much discussion, the commission approved a resolution to enact House Bill 1625 which would set the Henry County General Session Judge’s compensation at an amount equal to the compensation received by chancellors and Circuit Court judges.
Ridgeway noted that General Sessions Judge Vicki Snyder presides over a large volume of cases including small claims civil, misdemeanor criminal and juvenile court cases. In 2017, she presided over 3,500 cases, in 2018, the number was 3,300, in 2019 it was 3,400, and went down to 2,000 in the year 2000 due to the COVID situation.
The resolution states that passage of the increase would be “in the best interest of the citizens” of the county so as to encourage “highly qualified attorneys to seek the office of General Sessions Court Judge” and which would “adequately and fairly” compensate the Judge handling that volume of cases.
The resolution sets a county litigation tax exceeding $6 per civil case and criminal conviction up to the amount necessary to fund the General Sessions Judge’s compensation mandated in House Bill 1625.
Commissioner Rev. James Travis expressed misgivings about the increase, wondering if that would mean everyone in the local judicial system would receive the same increase. He prefaced his comments by stating, “Our General Sessions judge is the finest as any in the state.”
Commissioner Randy Gean said he has received phone calls about the resolution and citizens’ questions were about where the funds would come from.
Commissioner Kreg Kyle said, “We know what we have here in Vicki” and Commissioner Dell Carter said Judge Snyder “goes beyond the call of duty.”
Meanwhile, Commissioner Paul Neal said he has received more calls on this subject than any and he proposed that the resolution be tabled and brought up later to allow more consideration.
Mayor Ridgeway said if the resolution was not voted upon at the meeting, it would not be able to be taken up by the state legislators for this year.
Henry County Bar Association President Andy Clark and Paris Attorney Hansel McCadams spoke on behalf of the resolution. Clark said the Bar Association supports the resolution, noting that Henry County has one of four full-time judges in West Tennessee. He said, “It takes a special person” to take on the duties that Judge Snyder does. “I can’t say enough good about her,” he said. He also noted that Henry County’s caseloads exceed those of the other counties with full-time General Sessions judges.
The commission rejected Neal’s motion to table the matter by a vote of 11 no; three yes.
The vote to approve the resolution was: 11 yes, two no, one abstain.
In other business:
The commission approved a PILOT agreement extension for Dana Corporation. Paris-Henry County Industrial Committee Executive Director Rob Goad said the original PILOT agreement was for $10M to allow Dana to purchase new equipment and that they now are asking for $3.5M more for additional equipment.
Dana has 552 employees and they are looking for more quality employees, he said.
–The commission approved a farm rental contract with Clint Diggs for property that Henry County owns near the Henry County Airport which is not presently used for airport functions and is available for farming purposes.
–The commission reinstated the “300 foot rule” regarding the sale of beer in Henry County.
Photo: Cam’ron and Demarccus Patton receive proclamations from County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway as Commissioners Don Jones and Jerry Berry applaud. (Shannon McFarlin photo).