Reed Takes Over As Putnam’s New Solid Waste Director
Brian Reed officially taking over as Putnam County’s new Solid Waste Director. Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said Reed has been training with the department for several months to prepare for the transition. Porter said Reed previously served as the Solid Waste Director in DeKalb County and brings a resume reflecting lifelong service in the […]
Putnam Commission Approves Unpaid EMS Debt Write-Off
Putnam County Commission approved a more than $682,000 debt write-off for the county’s emergency services. Putnam County Emergency Services Director Tommy Copeland said the write-off is a standard year-end procedure required by auditors to remove uncollectible debt from the county’s financial books. “We do try to collect it,” Copeland said, “We use a third party […]
Putnam Commissioners Appoint New Library Trustees
The Putnam County Commission appointed Dr. Gail Myers and Mary Lee Bucher to the Putnam County Library Board of Trustees during its Monday meeting. The appointment followed a public comment period where residents expressed differing views on the board’s nominating process and the types of materials available in the children’s section. Commissioner Gene Mullins said […]
State Index Leads To Putnam Schools Funding Reduction
Putnam County’s ability to pay for its students’ education led to a reduction in state funding. Director of Schools Corby King said the TISA formula uses an index from the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations and the Center for Business and Economic Research. The index calculatse local funding capacity. “We have a higher ability […]
Putnam Schools Confident In Finding Budget-Gap Solution
Putnam County School Board Members stand optimistic regarding the district’s ability to resolve a $5 million budget gap following a joint session with the county commission. School Board Chariman Lynn McHenry said the school system maintains a healthy fund balance that can be utilized to offset a portion of the shortfall. McHenry said the district […]
Putnam Commissioners Finalize C-PACER Program Participation
Putnam County commissioners have finalized an agreement to participate in the C-PACER program, an initiative aimed at encouraging businesses to invest in clean energy and efficiency improvements. Commissioners formally approved the program and authorized County Mayor Randy Porter to enter into an agreement with program administrator Midwest PACE Services. Attorney Jeff Jones said both he […]
Putnam Approves New Changes To Commissioner Pay
Putnam County Commissioners approved a new pay structure Monday night that will adjust how much future commissioners will be paid. Commission Chairman Chris Cassetty said under the new structure, commissioners will receive one-twenty-fourth of the county mayor’s salary, divided into monthly payments and then further divided based on meeting attendance. Cassetty noted that commissioner pay […]
Commission Approves C-PACER, Focus On Clean Energy
The Putnam County Commission approved implementation of a new Commercial Property program designed to encourage businesses to use clean energy. Putnam County Attorney Jeff Jones said the action begins the process of adopting the C-PACER program locally. “This is a program that we’ve been approached on several occasions by developers and so forth,” Jones said. […]
Putnam Commission Approves Shift To Four-Year Reappraisal
Putnam County Commissioners voted Tuesday night to shift the county’s property reappraisal cycle from five years to four years. Putnam County Assessor of Property Steve Pierce said the change is intended to improve fairness and protect revenue stability without raising taxes. Pierce said the proposal would help keep property values closer to market levels and […]
Putnam Approves New Rounding Policy for Cash Transactions
Putnam County Commissioners have adopted a new policy to round off the amount charged for fees and taxes when customers pay with cash. County Attorney Jeff Jones said the new policy originated when the U.S Treasury stopped making pennies last February. Jones said this has created an issue, as many county offices deal with numerous […]
