Kimball Mayor David JacksonJASPER, Tenn. — City administrators in Jasper and Kimball are joining in an effort to force a bankrupt telecommunications company to pay franchise fees the cities claim are overdue.
Trinity Communications in Jasper, which offers local cable, phone and Internet service in Marion County, has only paid franchise fees to each city once since July 2008, officials said.
Jasper Mayor Billy Simpson said communication with Trinity’s management officials has been nearly impossible over the past three months.
“I got a report that [a Trinity official] said he had been to see me and talked to me to work something out,” he said. “I can’t even get him to return a phone call. He’s never talked to me, and I reported that immediately to [City Attorney Mark Mr. Raines].”
In July, Kimball Mayor David Jackson said Trinity owes the city at least $10,000 in unpaid franchise fees.