Weakley County Pro Tem Mayor to Receive No Pay

“My only concern is it's costing him to do the job because he's losing time on his farm. He's cutting hay and things that he needs to do. If he’d be willing to do that for free and hopefully keep it at a minimum, I think that would be very big of him."”

Weakley County Commissioner Roger Donaldson

County News Briefs

Federal Service Report

A motion was made to approve the Federal Service Report. It was noted that the report was clean except for a waste disposal issue, which has been addressed. Credit card payments are now accepted.

Appointment to Weakley County Board of Equalization

Two members, Misti Edwards and Spencer Stewart were appointed.

Appointment to Weakley County Opioid Settlement Committee

Nine members were recommended for the committee: Commissioner James Washburn, Commissioner David Bell, Commissioner Gary Eddings, Commissioner Marcus Hopper, Michael Hinds, Joyce Washington, Keith Jones, Donna Newsom and Jake Bynum. This for a two-year term ending on May 31, 2026.

Innovative School Model

Weakley County Schools received grant money to help gear up for year-end clean-up.

Summer Scholars/Summer School

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County Employee Raises

A motion was made to approve giving County Employees a 3% raise. In 2023, employees received a 10% raise.

Weakley County Mayor pro tem Dennis Doster will perform the duties of the Weakley County Mayor’s office with no pay until a new mayor is elected August 1.

Former Weakley County Mayor Jake Bynum stepped down from the position on April 30 to take a position with UTM as chief of staff for University President Yancy Freeman.

While the Weakley County Commission’s Finance, Ways, and Means Committee originally approved a motion at their May 30 meeting to pay Doster a salary of $150 per day worked in the office, Director of Finance John Ligett pointed out a recommendation from CTAS (County Technical Advisory Service) that the mayor pro tem is not to be paid a salary unless appointed by the commission as interim mayor.

Weakley County Commissioner Gary Eddings brought up pro tem Mayor Dennis Doster’s pay at the Finance, Ways and Means (FWM) meeting held on Thursday, May 30 due to what he felt was “an excessive amount of pay,”

“After doing some checking and hearing some comments from other employees and all, the way it was set up, I think it was set up to be just like what Jake's pay was, which is going to equal about $9,000 a month for about four months, and somewhere around $36,000.  I think for the role, it does definitely need to be paid, but I don't think it needs to be the $9,000 a month, just like it was with the county mayor,” Eddings stated.

“Some of the county employees that work in the courthouse don't even make $36,000 a year, is what I've heard. I think it needs to be some other type of payment scheme of some sort,” Eddings reiterated.

Due to the FWM Committee being the committee that pushes for frugality, Eddings said he believed $9,000 per month was not in the best interests of taxpayer dollars. Commissioner James Westbrook agreed.

After brief discussion, Eddings made a motion that Doster’s pay should be the same per day as attending a committee meeting-in the amount of $150 per day that he is at the office and be required to sign in each day he comes in, which he said would save the county money.

The motion passed 4-3, however later in the meeting, Director of Finance John Ligett said that he had previously reached out to CTAS regarding the pay and they reached out to an auditor and that he had just received an email back stating that Doster was not supposed to be getting paid anything for the position.

“Unless we have officially named someone as interim mayor by resolution, we cannot pay that person an interim mayor salary in any form,” Ligett stated.

If Doster was appointed interim mayor, he would have to relinquish his duties and commissioner, which Doster did not want to do.

“My only concern is it's costing him to do the job because he's losing time on his farm. He's cutting hay and things that he needs to do. If he’d be willing to do that for free and hopefully keep it at a minimum, I think that would be very big of him,” Commissioner Roger Donaldson stated.

“And I'd hate to appoint somebody at this point because we're getting so close to having a new mayor. I guess if he says everything is good, then everything is good. Maybe keep it to a minimum. Do what he needs to do, and we'll do it for the good of the county,” Donaldson said.

Doster agreed to continue as pro tem mayor, free of charge, until the August 1 election results came in.