Bennett’s family to receive $50,000
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According to County Attorney Larry Stanley, Bennett’s vested retirement would have been $21,000, but new legislation sponsored by the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System sets a minimum death benefit of $50,000 for a government employee who is killed in the line of duty.
Although this legislation has already been enacted by the state, each local government has to pass a resolution to put the law into effect in that county. The legislation also addresses other aspects of surviving family member’s rights, particularly a surviving child’s rights, concerning retirement benefits of an employee who is killed while on the job.
“This is simply to put us in line with the other counties who have adopted this,” said Stanley. “And it needs to be noted this is retroactive to July 1 of this year if it is adopted, so that Jerry’s family will receive the benefits from it.”
Stanley also explained the increased benefits do not come at the expense of local taxpayers.
“This is not tax dollars. This is a retirement benefits program that comes from the state of Tennessee, and the other counties have adopted this. They’re receiving it, so our county should adopt it, in my opinion, so our workers can receive it,” Stanley said.
After passing an amendment to make the resolution effective July 1 of 2002, the commission passed the resolution unanimously.
Jim Gray, the county’s outgoing industrial recruiter, had some encouraging economic indicators to relate in his report to the commission. Gray said sales tax revenue for the month of May was up 5.7 percent, amounting to approximately $100,000 over May 2001.
“Percentage wise, our sales tax even exceeds Putnam County,” said Gray, “This is a good indication people are spending money in Warren County.”
Gray then reported the unemployment rate in May had dropped to 5.7 percent in Warren County, one of the lowest rates in two years. He also had some good news about Mountain View Industrial Park.
“I have been working for several months with Senator Jerry Cooper on some infrastructure issues,” Gray said, “I am pleased to announce tonight that at the request of Senator Cooper, we will receive $250,000 in Tennessee Industrial Infrastructure Program money for water and sewer line extensions, fire hydrants, etc. for Mountain View Industrial Park.”
Gray pointed out one of the main problems with marketing the spec building was the lack of these facilities and the time that would be required to install them. He noted that receiving the infrastructure money to install these facilities ahead of time would essentially eliminate this drawback and make the site much more attractive.
In further business, the commission re-appointed Brent Foster to the Planning Commission with a term to expire in 2005.
The commission also made a new appointment of Katherine Gant to the Judicial Commission, and re-appointed Judicial Commissioners Jimmy Griffith, Lori Wanamaker, Sherry Grandey, Doug Deaton and Linda Love.
All of these appointments passed unanimously.