Hardeman County officials struggle to pay employees
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HARDEMAN COUNTY, Tenn- Newly elected Hardeman County Commissioners Chris Bell and John Vickers are reacting to the news that the county will have to borrow more than half a million dollars from their debt fund. If not hundreds of county employees will not be paid. “It’s embarrassing,” Bell said. “We don’t have enough money to pay them.” According to County Mayor Jimmy Sain, who took office in August, he was informed on his first day that the county budget was low. He said without borrowing money, employees could not be paid in September. Sain said the issue comes from poor management and planning from the previous administration. “I don’t want to point fingers,” Bell said. “It may be the previous administration’s fault but we have to fix it.” “We have to pay them somehow no matter whose fault it is,” Vickers said. Sain said he and the county commissioners are looking at ways to make sure the same thing does not happen again. He said one of the biggest problems is debt owed on the $18 million Criminal Justice Complex. He admitted it is a bill they cannot afford but are obligated to pay for at least 25 years. “We have been working with the mayor…and he’s doing good… trying to figure out ways to get things done,” Bell said. Mayor Sain said they are looking at other ways to decrease spending without cutting jobs. He and commissioners said they will be able to pay back the money taken from the debt fund once property taxes are received this fall.
