Fentress County Commission will host a special-called meeting Monday to make an appointment for Sheriff.
Fentress County Executive Jimmy Johnson said Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) has handled the search process up until this point. Johnson said Monday night will be the first time the county commission will get to interview the candidates.
“We have three applicants that were qualified candidates by the POST commission that we had to send it to. So this is actually just like, looks like a regular election, but it’s an appointment, is what it has been,” Johnson said.
By law, the county has to appoint a sheriff within 120 days of the resignation of the previous sheriff. Previous Sheriff Michael Reagon resigned in December after facing charges for allegedly signing off on false training completion records.
Johnson said each candidate will be asked a set of pre-approved questions and given a limited time to respond.
“Each candidate will have five questions, and we’ll have two minutes to answer that question,” Johnson said. “Then… the candidates will have a three-minute time to address the commissioners on their behalf.”
The meeting will also include an opportunity for public input, though comments must be directed to commissioners rather than the candidates themselves. While the commission will ultimately decide, Johnson said he believes all three candidates are qualified.
“I’m sure that they all will be, or POST would not have qualified them,” he said. “We have nothing to do with the qualification here.”
Johnson acknowledged that appointing a sheriff is one of the more difficult responsibilities commissioners face.
“I do not like to appoint no one,” Johnson said. “I think it should always be taken by the citizens… but there comes a time like this right here… it’s one of the hard ones that they have to do.”
Despite the unusual circumstances, Johnson said the goal is to complete the appointment efficiently and move forward.
“We want to get it over with… and we’ll go on,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the person selected on Monday will serve only until the August election, meaning the appointment does not guarantee a long-term position. The commission will meet on Monday at the Historic Fentress County Courthouse, with the meeting starting at 6pm.