Monday night's county commission meeting was busy though efficiently conducted by Mayor Shelvy Linville, who addressed a controversial motion made at the previous meeting held on August 10 which asked for clarification of the county's vacation policy and in particular with reference to EMS and Sheriff's Department employees.

"We are not going to take anyone's vacation away," stated Linville. "And whoever made the call to an EMS employee which started this rumor should please identify themselves, and I will tell them to their face they are a 'liar'," said the mayor, irritated at having been "jumped in the hallway" prior to the meeting and accused by an EMS employee of trying to mess with their annual vacation pay and or length of time due.

Following Linville's emotional statement, the commissioners agreed to put more study and to re-write the county's Vacation Time policy for all county employees and to bring it up to date and clarify any ambiguities in the County Government Vacation Time Policy which had been adopted in 1992.

A motion by Jerry Ray, seconded by Philip Snow put the issue, Motion #9 made August 10 by East, seconded by West, "on the table," which when revisited at a later date will require a 2/3 vote of the 20 commissioners to put back "on the table," according to commission parliamentarian Tony Boles. The motion to table passed with all nineteen commissioners voting "yes."

The 17th District Commission seat vacated last month by Phil Spears when he moved into another district was filled following an election between five well-known and qualified candidates.

The final voting elected Wendell Jones to complete Spear's term representing the 17th District.

Jones, a life-long resident of Macon County, resides at 1413 Flippin Drive in Lafayette.

A graduate of MCHS and the Tri-County Vocational School (Hartsville) where he studied tool and die making, is currently a partner, with Jerry Cook and Jeff Manion of JMC Tool and Die, located in the Lafayette Industrial Park. The small company has five employees engaged in work for automotive and other industrial customers.

Wendell previously worked at Carter Automotive for 21 years, and is a native of the Gap of the Ridge Community west of Lafayette.

Jones won the final vote by 10-9 with finalist Tommy Napier after Richard Bransford withdrew after the first round of voting. Bill Gregory and James Christian were the other early candidates but were eliminated in the first round of voting.

Mayor Linville congratulated Jones on his election, and complimented the other four applicants as "fine men, any of whom could have done a good job serving on the county commission." Jones will take his seat at the next meeting in September, set for Monday, September 16.

In other business Commissioners authorized the mayor to proceed with borrowing of a total of $4,640,000 to fund a road paving project and to consolidate $637,000 of remaining debt incurred for the new roof on Red Boiling Springs School into one note at a lower rate of interest (3.94 percent fixed rate over ten years). Citizens Bank submitted the low interest bid, with Macon Bank and Trust close behind with an offer of 4-percent interest.

The loan will require an annual payment by the county of $570,400 to retire over the ten year period.

Road Supervisor Audie Cook was authorized to proceed with bids for the road paving project, which should begin within 30 days.