Former Red Bank Mayor Joe Glasscock on Thursday criticized Mayor Monty Millard's efforts to consider a different location for the city's much-needed new middle school.
"Hopefully, the new commissioners won't play political football with our new proposed middle school and get us into an overtime situation," Glasscock wrote in a statement. "We'll surely lose!"
Glasscock was referring to Millard's efforts to lobby Hamilton County Department of Education officials to change course and "explore other options" on the middle school's proposed location. Plans call for the school to be built behind Red Bank High School's campus, pending approval of a land swap by the U.S. Department of Interior.
On Dec. 21, Hamilton County school board member Chip Baker went to Red Bank City Hall thinking he was updating elected officials on nearly complete plans for the new middle school.
But when Millard and other commissioners presented an alternate location on the north end of Red Bank -- across town from the high school -- Baker balked, saying school officials had come too far and spent $225,000 on civil engineering, surveying and environmental studies.
Several school officials said they saw no reason why their plan would fail.
"Probably construction will start at the end of April," Hamilton County assistant superintendent Gary Waters said.
Glasscock considered the meeting "yet another maneuver" by Millard to sabotage two of his major accomplishments as mayor -- building the school within city limits and satisfying school board members.
"Every time I made a mark, Monty and the others tried to paint over it," Glasscock said.
Millard disputed Glasscock's assertions, saying he held the meeting for "information purposes only."
"Joe's a citizen, he has a right to express his private concerns, but he's certainly no longer an elected official," Millard said. "We wanted a Plan B. We didn't know the status and we weren't sure how much money was already gone."
Contact staff writer Chris Carroll at ccarroll @timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6610.