Bell Buckle hires judge, attorney

Saturday, March 29, 2008
By Brian Mosely

Bell Buckle's board of Mayor and Aldermen met for a brief special called meeting Friday to hire a municipal judge and a new city attorney.

The board voted to hire Bill Haywood, who serves as Chapel Hill's municipal judge and city attorney for Lewisburg, as judge for the small village at a cost of $300 per session.

Mayor Dennis Webb stated that retired Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Adolpho A. Birch Jr. had pulled out of the running for the job.

Greg Perry of Manchester is Bell Buckle's new city attorney, who will work at a rate of $75 an hour. The town had been employing attorney Evan Cope; however, the difference in the rate for billable hours resulted in the board's decision. Webb thanked Cope for his service to the town.

LaVergne police officer Chris Spradling will start working for Bell Buckle on a part time basis starting next week. He will work only 10 hours a week, with his main duty to watch for speeders. The town will be acquiring a surplus Bedford County Sheriff's Department for the officer Monday and Spradling will be commissioned by the sheriff's department next week as well.

No action was taken on a proposed property ordinanace, with Webb saying that more research would be needed on the topic of junked cars. A person would also have to be appointed to enforce the law, which would deal with lots that are full of junk and trash or are unsightly.

While many Bell Buckle residents have mixed feelings about the hiring of a police officer and judge, Webb stated, they are 100 percent behind any ordinance about cleaning up property, singling out one home in the city limits.

Comments

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I believe this is good for Bell Buckle as for the speeders. But i believe that if you own your own property and you pay your own taxes then no one should beable to give you a ticket for having car's that are junk or just not running. If they want their grass to grow all summer long then no one else should be able to tell them what they should do with their property. Why should you be singling out one home already in Bell Buckle. I believe that is crossing the line. It is wrong !!!! The officer should be there those 10 hours to get the people that are breaking the law. Not going around giving tickets to people that you do not like the way they keep their yard or what they have sitting in their yard.He needs to be watching the trucks that leave the Webb school that go way over the speed limit and even run the stop sign. That is what is important. Keeping the children that play in Bell Buckle safe.Sounds like you are going to have him running around giving tickets like Barney in Mayberry. Come on worry about doing what is safe for the people of Bell Buckle and the people that visit . Leave the people alone that may not keep their yards like you want them to. You do not pay their bills and put food on their tables or pay their taxes..Get real about this.

-- Posted by rebelrose on Mon, Mar 31, 2008, at 1:29 PM

The problem is that some of the people of Bell Buckle just want the officer to enforce the laws that they want enforced. And I have even heard that they don't want him giving residents tickets at all.

Well Bell Buckle is not a "Special" place and above any other small town in this state. If they break state law (not just local ordinances), they should be cited or taken to jail if the situation requires it.

The officer is to enforce Tennessee State Statute.

-- Posted by SirJim on Mon, Mar 31, 2008, at 2:22 PM

SirJim ...do you mean if a Bell Buckle resident get's caught speeding that they can not get a ticket..If that is so then the officer would be breaking the law...It is hard to believe BUT I can see that going on with some of the people that live there. If that is true I guess all the Webb students will beable to do what they want..just WHY do they have to have a JUDGE and COURT in their own little world. Why can't they go in front of the Judge in Shelbyville and go to the court there too.We have a officer here in Wartrace but if we get caught speeding or what ever here in Wartrace we go to the court and judge in town. Why are they so different than us here in Wartrace????

-- Posted by rebelrose on Mon, Mar 31, 2008, at 11:47 PM

I live in Wartrace, and have so for many years. I think Bell Buckle having a judge, or an officer, is great. I wish other small towns, including Wartrace would do the same for their citizens so that they don't have to " go to the court and judge in town".

-- Posted by summerhill on Tue, Apr 1, 2008, at 6:45 PM