Jackson County Commission attorney, John Porter, advised the Commission on January 25, to file a declaratory judgment in the circuit court regarding to the stalemate of the hiring a county engineer. Porter stated that each of the four commissioners had contacted him requesting a recommendation on how to resolve the current stalemate of hiring a county engineer.

For the past several months the county commission has been unable to reach a decision on who to hire as the engineer for the county. A majority vote stopped the hiring of Jackson County Commission Chairwoman Sadie Bias recommendation J.D. Smith, and an unreachable unanimous decision stopped the hiring of Greg Richard, who has worked for the county in previous years.

Porter stated that the judicial branch of the government normally does not interfere with the normal operations of either the executive or legislative branches but from time to time will give direction on whether or not those branches are operating within the boundaries of the law or within the appropriate adopted procedures.

District 1 Commissioner Horrace Clemmons made a motion to accept Mr. Porter’s recommendation for the County Commission refer this matter to the circuit courts. District 2 Commissioner Jack Allen second the motion, and the commissioners voted to allow the issue to go before either Circuit Judge Jennifer Holt or Circuit Judge John Graham.