Hamilton County commissioners on Wednesday elected new leaders, granted more power to county code enforcers and denied a request by the school system to offer its lowest-paid new workers pension benefits.
Commissioners elected District 9 Commissioner Chester Bankston their chairman for the next year. While there was no public discussion, the election was far from unanimous.
Bankston was elected 5-4, with Commissioners Tim Boyd, Randy Fairbanks, Marty Haynes and Sabrena Smedley supporting him. Bankston was his own swing vote. Jim Fields, Joe Graham, Greg Beck and Warren Mackey voted for Fields.
That bloc that elected Bankston also elected Fairbanks, who represents District 1, to be vice chairman. The other group supported Graham as vice chairman.
Bankston, previously vice chairman, replaced Fields. Fairbanks is in his first term as a commissioner.