Commissioner Tommy Thompson discusses his experiences with the SETDD during the board’s May meeting.
JASPER, Tenn. – Marion County leaders have approved a new two-year contract with the Southeast Tennessee Development District, which means a fee increase.
The agency administers grants, writes grants, and provides planning services for 10 counties in Southeast Tennessee, including Marion, as well as parts of North Georgia and North Carolina, among other services.
County Mayor David Jackson said he has been on the agency’s executive board since 2004, and during that time, there hasn’t been an increase in the organization’s service fees.
“So, the executive board voted late last year to increase the fees by one penny per capita,” he said at the Marion County Commission’s May meeting. “So, we [Marion County] were paying $10,000 a year. It will go to $13,750.”
Jackson encouraged the board to authorize him to sign a two-year contract.