The Union County Commission voted to abolish the position of constable for the second reading at the commission meeting on April 28. All voted for the motion by Sidney Jessee and seconded by Kenny Moore with the exception of Angela Conner-Murphy, who abstained. A handful of citizens and a representative of the Tennessee Constables Association requested that commissioners find another solution. But the recent lawsuits that have been filed due to the wreck in Sharps Chapel heavily influenced the vote.

At the February meeting, the Union County Commission voted to revisit the issue of the position of constable in Union County. At the January meeting, the commission had voted to abolish the position. However, after a representative of the East Tennessee Constables Association and other community members addressed the commission and requested that a dialogue of expectations be opened between the constables and the commission, Commissioner Eddie Simpson asked that the issue be put on the March agenda for first reading and ample discussion. The motion was approved 13 for and 3 against.

The Union County Commission voted to take an option with contingencies on a 12-acre property for the new jail at the October meeting.

Commissioner Sidney Jessee Jr., Jail Committee Chairman, explained the Jail Committee had narrowed the number of architects to three and were expecting to have interviews with each on November 12 at 6 p.m.

Mayor Jason Bailey recently learned that the Union County 911 Board was not appointed according to state requirements. When he became mayor, there were and still are not any local bylaws so he just followed traditions and filled vacancies as they arose. But new learning brought change to the 911 Board at the September Union County Commission meeting.
The mayor researched the 911 Board members and the dates of their appointment to set up the required staggered terms. At the end of the modified staggering, appoints will either finish a defined term or begin a new term of four years.

Schools director Greg Clay reported to the Union County Commission on August 26 that excavation has begun for the new middle school on John Deere Drive. The formal groundbreaking ceremony will be on Wednesday, September 4, at 9:30 a.m. at the site.
Several property items were considered by the commission. The Luttrell Industrial Park Property was the subject of a motion by Greg Dyer and a second by Mike Boles to appraise the property for possible sale that the commission approved. Voting ‘No’ on the motion was Sidney Jesse.

The Union County Commission approved all documents relating to the FY25 Budget unanimously, except for one negative vote by 3rd District Commissioner Kenny Moore on the Non-Profit Budget. The tax rate will remain the same.
The sheriff’s department will get a step increase of two percent. as will EMS. Other county employees will receive a six percent raise which moved them three steps on the pay scale.

The Union County General Fund 101 Budget passed one more hurdle on June 4, 2024, when the Union County Budget Committee sent its recommendations to County Commission for consideration on Monday, June 10.

Sidney Jessee Jr. presided over the May Union County Commission meeting because Mayor Bailey was on vacation. The meeting got a late start due to the lengthy budget committee meeting. The budget committee approved and recommended all budgets to the commission except the County FY25 General Fund 101. A vote to recommend Fund 101 failed 2 to 6 with Chairperson Cheryl Walker and Commissioner Gerald Simmons supplying the only affirmative votes.

In the April 22 meeting Union County Commission learned that a private act would be needed to increase building permit fees. Recently the budget committee recommended raising the fees, but further investigation of the process found that when commission raised the cost of a building permit, it violated its own private act.

A community building and convenience center became one step closer to reality for Braden and Big Ridge during the Union County Commission March meeting. Commissioners Greg Dyer (5th District) and Dawn Flatford (4th district) have spent many months searching for suitable property. Two community landowners have risen to the challenge and offered land at reasonable prices. Danny Kilgore in Braden is willing to sell a nearly 2-acre property for $30,000. The property will need clearing, a well, and septic.