Wayne County Commission Meets in Final Session Before Newly Elected Commissioners Take Office

The Wayne County Commission met in regular session on Monday, July 20, 2026. Commissioners in attendance were Tom Mathis, Logan Shull, Sherrie Powers, Alvin Creecy, Kathryn Staggs, Colby McDonald, Vickie Petty, David Martin, and Stephen Pevahouse. Also in attendance were Commissioner/Chairman Pro Tem Rickey Kelley, County Clerk Stan Horton, and Financial Advisor Lori Brasher. Commissioners Stan Hanback, Patrick Butler, Jeremy Heard, and Tyler McDonald were absent.

Chairman Pro Tem Rickey Kelley called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Minutes from the previous commission meeting and committee meetings were unanimously approved. Also approved was one notary, Amanda Wilkerson.

Chairman Kelley asked Ms. Brasher to go over some budget amendments and the approval of the full budget document. The entire budget document was unanimously approved by the commission and has been sent to the State for their approval.

County Clerk Horton asked for the commission’s approval to hire Ronnie Skelton as a deputy clerk. Mr. Skelton won the nomination for County Clerk in the County Republican Primary Election and is expected to be victorious in the upcoming County Election on August 6 as no Democratic candidates qualified to be on the ballot. Mr. Horton explained that hiring Mr. Skelton as deputy clerk effective August 1 was recommended by the State to allow time for Skelton to receive all the state credentials necessary before he officially takes office in September. Mr. Skelton will be paid $800 per week during the interim before taking office. The commission unanimously approved the request.

Ms. Brasher went on to present two budget amendments. The first was an amendment in Schools where the sales tax coming in was underestimated. The original estimate was $1,300,000, to be amended to $1,500,000. She stressed that this would not affect any other part of the budget. The amendment was unanimously approved on roll call vote.

The next amendment to be approved was in Capital Projects. Ms. Brasher pointed out that $300,000 assigned to boarding at the Wayne County Jail was normally transferred to be used for motor vehicles for the Sheriff’s Office. The commission unanimously approved to move those funds from line to line.

Executive Assistant Cindy Risner was asked to present a recommendation from the Budget Committee to the full commission. The Budget Committee recommended that the county keep the current insurance plan for now and discuss other options in the future. The commission unanimously agreed.

Commissioner Mathis brought up an issue at the former physician’s office building next to Wayne Medical Center. He said the air conditioning units in two of the three suites were badly in need of maintenance, with the unit serving Suite C being in really bad condition and causing a leak with water damage. The unit in Suite A is not in such poor condition but was installed in 1982 and is on its “last legs.” Only the unit in Suite B seems to be fully functional but still needs maintenance. The commission agreed to get in touch with HVAC installer/repairman Mike Mattox to service all three units.

Commissioner Powers asked to address the topic of the new Collinwood Medical Clinic, where a lot of progress has been made in the construction of the building. Ms. Powers said there has been a lot of interest from those wishing to lease the medical clinic side of the building, including Maury Regional and medical groups from Hardin County and Florence, Alabama. She asked that the commission put out requests for proposals to officially begin the leasing process. The commission verbally agreed to put out requests for proposals by September 1.

Department reports were next on the agenda. Sheriff Shane Fisher started by thanking the commissioners for their service. He expressed his anxiety about moving forward with an almost completely new commission this fall, not because he feels they can’t do the job, but because the current commissioners are the only ones he has worked with as Sheriff. He stated how much he has learned by working with this group and wished them all the best.

Commissioner Colby McDonald, Mathis, Powers, and others thanked the Sheriff for being great to work with as well. Commissioner Pevahouse asked if the Sheriff’s Office is fully staffed at this time, and Sheriff Fisher said not yet, but hopefully they will be soon.

Director of Schools, Dr. Ricky Inman, addressed the commission next and said the outgoing group would be truly missed. He commented that he has seen them have to make some really tough decisions and applauded their efforts.

Dr. Inman went on to briefly discuss the new Trane energy-saving HVAC systems being installed in the school system. He said that during the nine-month construction period, just under $31,000 was saved on water, electrical, and gas costs.

IT Director Mike Floyd thanked the commission for working with him during his time here so far, and for always making sure he had the equipment needed to repair and upgrade the county’s computers.

Library Director Holli Haddock also thanked the commission and other county employees for working hard to help her. She said she has always believed the library is not just about the books, but is also a place for the community to gather. She announced that the library in Waynesboro will be hosting a “Back to School Bash” for kids on Saturday, August 1, with outdoor games, a bounce house, story time, and a movie. Ms. Haddock said the event would not be possible without donations from the community, which were very much appreciated.

Lastly, Commissioner Sherrie Powers asked to address the audience and other commissioners to briefly talk about her time as a County Commissioner over the last eight years. She first thanked the citizens of the 5th District for all their support and said it had been an honor and a privilege to serve them. She thanked all the commissioners with whom she worked alongside over the years and expressed her true respect and friendship.

Ms. Powers continued by saying that public service is not always easy, and many don’t always see the countless hours put in, the hard work they do, and the tough decisions public servants must make to really make a positive difference in people’s lives. With a great deal of emotion, Commissioner Powers expressed her gratitude.

With no further business to come before the commission, the meeting was adjourned.