Monday, June 8th

NEWS 6/8/15 From The Cleveland Daily Banner- The County Commission Finance Committee Friday voted unanimously to recommend a budget for the Bradley County Fire-Rescue which contains significant pay raises without any increase in taxes. Each of the 66 who work for the department will receive the county’s standard 2 percent increase beginning July 1. Beginning Jan. 1, 2016, each will receive a raise of $4,507.69. The total cost of the raises once the full amount is applied is $292,999.85.  Chief Troy Maney had hoped to get an across the board $5,500 raise for all the employees, which would have cost $75,000 more. At the meeting Davis presented some new numbers he had attained from the county assessor’s and trustee’s office. Davis said after getting numbers that are in real time, the projected revenue in his proposal would rise from $3.422 million to $3.728 million — a difference of approximately $300,000, which is the cost of the proposed raises. That is the figure Maney was given last week and told to come back with the distribution of raises. Davis said another piece of “good news” is collections were up. The mayor also said the new budget would bring the department’s fund balance up to $1.166 million at the end of the year. A combination of delaying the major part of the raises and the increased fund balance would keep the county from having to use tax anticipation bonds to meet as much, if any, of the anticipated increase during the months prior to taxes coming into the county coffers. “You don’t need to do anything to the tax rate for this to work,” Davis said.  With the committee approval, the raises will still require the approval of the full Commission for implementation. The Commission is scheduled to vote on approval of a budget and tax rate on July 6. From The Times Free Press- Cleveland City Attorney John Kimball has been saying for nearly a year that the city’s police policies are valid even though they have not been adopted by the City Council.  That’s the opposite of what his office said in 1997, when another question about police policies arose after detectives challenged a change in promotions procedures. The, the city attorney’s office and acting City Manager George Wood agreed with the detectives, saying the change was invalid since it had not been passed by the City Council as the city charter requires.  “Our current policies would need to be amended to accommodate this [policy,]” Wood wrote in a Sept. 4, 1997, memo to the council based on advice from the city attorney’s office where Kimball was employed. Wood added that the policy itself might be a good idea, but the council would have to vote to adopt it before it could take effect. Kimball and City Manager Janice Casteel have acknowledged that the police policy manual used to fire or discipline officers has not been specifically adopted by the council. Both have said the council’s approval of the department’s application for accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a national group, was the equivalent of adopting the policies. A CALEA official has disputed that claim.  Contacted Saturday, Kimball first asked to see the memo but then said he did not want it emailed to him and said he had no comment. Casteel also was emailed the documentsSaturday but her response appeared to refer to an unrelated issue. Casteel said via email the memos “appear to be related to a ‘reclassification’ within our classification/compensation program.”  Casteel, who as city manager has responsibility for hiring, firing and discipline of city employees, was copied on each memo.  Officers and their attorneys say a similar situation is taking place now, since Casteel has based disciplinary actions including terminations on policies not voted on by the council.  Cleveland attorney Jimmy Logan, who represents at least two officers who recently appealed discipinary action, said it is time for the council to consider CPD’s policies.  Logan believes that the appellate disciplinary process also needs to be examined, as the same city manager who signs off on initial decisions also hears employees’ appeals of those decisions. From The Chattanoogan.com Authorities said they have made a number of arrests in connection with a “pipeline” of illegal drugs flowing from Detroit to Cleveland, Tn.  The six-month operation involved the 10th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office and the Cleveland Police Department. Law enforcement seized over $17,000 in currency, 458 Oxymorphone and Oxycodone pills and five firearms. Two of the guns had been stolen locally.  Arrested were Lawrence R. Wiggins, Ray A. McSwain, Christopher R. Trimble, Eric N. Browder, Diontae M. Pressley, Reginald R. Coleman, Jared C. Bostic, Rico C. Jones and Terance R. Bass. Outstanding warrants are on file for Vernall Lee and Reggie Cobbs, brother of Terance R. Bass. Times Free Press- A Bradley County, Tenn., man charged in a November shooting death pleaded guilty Friday, according to a sheriff’s office news release.  Antonio George was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide in the death of Aaron “Josh” Davis, the release stated. George was also sentenced to eight years for a probation violation. The sentences will run consecutively.  On Nov. 23, a motorist transporting the mortally wounded Davis flagged down a Bradley County deputy at the intersection of 25th Street and Peerless Road, the release stated.  The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated and a second-degree murder warrant was issued for George’s arrest. He turned himself in on Dec. 1, the release stated. From The Times Free Press- Lee University’s annual Music Camp for rising ninth graders through rising college freshmen will be held June 22–27.  A news release said students will study with Lee University faculty and professional musicians, participate in ensembles and study music theory and music history.  The camp culminates in concerts open to the community.  Tuition is $495 plus a $50 registration fee, including housing in Lee residence halls and meals in the dining hall. Nonresidential options are available at discounted rates. Students who participated in their respective All-States will be awarded a $250 scholarship.  For information, contact Laud Vaught at musiccamp@leeuniversity. edu or 423-614-8244. Banner reports- Cleveland and Bradley County lost another of its longtime office holders last week with the death of former Circuit Court Clerk Mary Elizabeth Carson. Carson, a close friend of current Circuit Court Clerk Gayla Miller, served at the Bradley County Courthouse for more than 20 years. She was very active in the Democratic Party. Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland said he remembered Carson and her long service as circuit court clerk.