Greenback Dismisses Attorney

 

Tammy Cheek-News Herald

 

Greenback board of mayor and aldermen voted Aug. 9 to dismiss it's attorney, Wayne Henry.

 

Mayor Tom Peeler recommended the board dismiss Henry, relating two instances where he was dissatisfied with Henry's performance.

 

Henry, who has a law office in Loudon, was hired as Greenback's attorney in September.

 

That night he was hired I gave him (Henry) a piece of paper. I said, "Here is your first case," Peeler said. That case involved Loudon County sending the city a tax bill for about $300 for property being leased to People Promoting Animal Welfare (PPAW) on Morganton Road.

 

"The city of Greenback is exempt from paying property taxes," the mayor said. Rather than deal with the assessor's office, Peeler said he gave the matter to Henry.

 

"As of today, that problem is not resolved," the mayor said.

 

Peeler said Henry had spoken with the late Assessor Chuck Jenkins, and when Peeler spoke with Jenkins, he said the city would not have to pay the $300 bill, but he would have to fill out some paper work, which Jenkins gave to Henry. Peeler said he and the PPAWS's operator would have to sign it. Peeler said he has asked for the letter and has not yet received it.

 

Henry said Friday, "We were trying to get that property to be determined to be exempt and we were working with Chuck Jenkins on that.

 

"Chuck was in my office the week before he died working with us on that issue."

 

Henry explained the paperwork was an application.

 

"Chuck was going back and forth with the state as far as what information they wanted," Henry said. "I was to fill out the form with the new information and had to get PPAWs to sign it, and that hadn't happened yet.

 

When asked why it had not occurred, Henry said, "It was just one of many things going on in my office."

 

The mayor also said there was another matter on which he was awaiting a solution on and when he asked for the bill for what Henry had done for the city and has not received that. "He refused to send us a bill," Peeler said.

 

Henry said he received the notification of his dismissal Aug. 11.

 

"They asked me several months ago to quit coming to city council meetings and I got a fax Thursday, so that's all I know about it," he said. "I'm sorry it happened." Obviously we weren't "gee hawing," and the best thing you can do is bite your lip and go on."