The Marion County Commission met Tuesday evening, May 26, 2026, at the Lawson Building in Jasper for its regular monthly meeting–a meeting that was quite a bit shorter than most due to several commissioners being absent.
The meeting was called to order following an invocation led by Commissioner Rollins and the Pledge of Allegiance.
During roll call conducted by the county clerk, those present included Mayor David Jackson along with Chairman Morrison and Commissioners Abbott, Adkins, Cantrell, Franklin, Rollins, Schafer, and Thompson.
Commissioners Blansett, Brandt, Campbell, Hargis, Holland, Mason, and Nunley were absent from the meeting.
With eight commissioners present, Chairman Morrison confirmed a quorum was established, allowing the commission to proceed with official business.
Commissioners approved the minutes from the previous meeting following a motion by Commissioner Cantrell and a second by Commissioner Schafer.
The commission then approved the revised May agenda after brief discussion regarding an agenda item and how that might be affected given the absence of several commissioners, including Utility Committee Chairman, Commissioner Blansett. The attendee, Dave Thompson, regarding the agenda item told commissioners he still wished to address the board despite the absences, and the agenda was approved without opposition.
No other public comments were listed on the agenda.
Commissioners were also informed that no budget amendments had been requested by the county government or Mayor Jackson for the month. Meanwhile, the Marion County Board of Education and Director of Schools Dr. Griffith requested that proposed amendments be tabled until the June meeting. Commissioner Rollins made the motion to table the amendments, seconded by Commissioner Franklin. The motion carried.
Later in the meeting, Marion County Highway Department Supervisor Cory Pickett addressed commissioners regarding seasonal labor and highway equipment operator costs. Pickett requested approval to transfer just over $9,000 within the department budget to continue paying employees through July, noting the move would not affect the department’s fund balance. Commissioners approved the request.
One of the primary agenda items involved approval of a change order connected to the county jail expansion project. Mayor Jackson presented the request, which totaled $13,293 for additional work by Lawson Electric involving conduit installation, intercom system components, door controls, magnetic locks, and additional wall work inside the visitor’s center that was not included in the original bid package.
Commissioner Schafer raised questions regarding portions of the change order related to drywall and masonry work, which was briefly discussed and the board moved on. Commissioner Cantrell made a motion to approve the request but noted commissioners would like to receive supporting paperwork sooner before meetings.
Commissioners also asked about the anticipated completion date for the project. Mayor Jackson said officials were hopeful construction would be completed by July.
Commissioner Abbott questioned how many total change orders had been issued during the project and whether a running total was being maintained. Mayor Jackson responded that approximately $6 million had originally planned for the jail expansion and the project currently remained under that at roughly $5.4 to $5.5 million overall including any change orders.
Commissioner Adkins made the motion to approve the change order, seconded by Commissioner Franklin. The motion carried.
Commissioners next considered a request from Marion County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Ronnie “Bo” Burnett to purchase three used patrol vehicles from the State of Missouri using approximately $82,000 from the department’s drug fund.
Sheriff Burnett told commissioners several existing patrol vehicles were currently out of service awaiting repairs, including one unit for which parts were reportedly unavailable. The purchase included two Ford Explorers from model years 2022 and 2023 along with a Dodge Charger.
Commissioner Franklin made the motion to approve the purchase, seconded by Commissioner Cantrell. The motion carried unanimously.
Next, the commission heard discussion regarding funding for the State Road 2 water pipe project previously approved at approximately $216,000. Inquiring from the public was Mr. Dave Thompson, who thanked commissioners for approving the funding but asked for clarification on how possible cost overruns would be reviewed.
Dave Thompson approaches commission with questions about SR-2 water pipe project costs | Photo: Vicki Messer
Commissioners explained that the Utility Committee would oversee review of the project and any associated overruns. Thompson was informed that Utility Committee Chairman Commissioner Blansett was absent from the meeting and would be able to provide additional details later regarding the committee’s review process involving the SR-2 and South Pittsburg Mountain projects as a whole.
Additional discussion centered around whether the approved amount would fully cover the project and where the estimate originated. Commissioners explained the figures came from engineers overseeing the work and noted the original estimate had actually been lowered to approximately $188,000 due to several factors expected to reduce costs.
Mayor Jackson noted the project remained on track and was not expected to exceed the approved amount except for the possibility of additional easement-related expenses, which after a bit of confusion on Thompson’s behalf, was made more clear.
Thompson expressed concerns about keeping the public informed regarding the project’s total eventual cost and said he hoped future commissioners elected later this year would have clear information available. Commissioners responded that the Utility Committee meetings are open to the public and additional reports could be presented later.
Chairman Morrison said he would request Commissioner Blansett provide additional clarification and reporting on the matter during a future meeting.
Commissioners later approved the monthly list of notaries.
During general business, Mayor Jackson asked commissioners to recognize the recent South Pittsburg High School state long jump champion at the upcoming June meeting. He also requested recognition for Travis Hickman of WEPG following his induction to the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame.
Chairman Morrison added that he would also like to recognize the Marion County High School Lady Warriors Softball Team for finishing as runner-up in the Class 2A State Championship Game.
Commissioner Franklin also inquired about ongoing renovations at the Marion County Health Department, specifically regarding allegations that a wall included in original renovation plans had not been installed.
Mayor Jackson responded that the concerns were unfounded and said both he and the project architect planned to conduct a walk-through and punch list inspection with contractors the following week. Jackson stated the renovation project had gone well overall and said the health department director was pleased with the work completed. He also referenced earlier change orders involving paint issues caused by old wallpaper preventing proper adhesion, which he said had since been corrected.
Following completion of business, commissioners approved a motion to adjourn the meeting.
