News
April Strong Month for DeKalb Local Option Sales Tax Collections
May 31, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
DeKalb County’s local option sales tax collections for April 2025 were better than the previous month and much higher than April, 2024 collections.
According to the Tennessee Department of Revenue, DeKalb County collected $226,958 in April, 2025, up from $179,966 in March, 2025 and better than $170,469 taken in during April, 2024
Local option sales tax collections in April 2025 were up in all four towns in DeKalb County compared to March, 2025 and April, 2024.
In Smithville, collections were $429,764 in April, up from $367,824 in March, and more than the April 2024 total of $426,387.
Alexandria’s collections increased from $32,698 in March to $56,812 in April and were up from $29,610 in April 2024.
Dowelltown brought in $4,030 in April 2025 compared to $3,322 in March and $3,342 in April 2024.
Liberty’s increased from $13,129 in March to $30,206 in April and came in over the total of $13,575 in April, 2024.
Net collections of local option sales taxes for the county and cities combined in April 2025 were $747,771, up from $596,942 in March and better than the $643,385 taken in during April 2024.
April 2025 sales tax collections reflect previous month activity.
Smithville Police Department Kept Busy in May
May 30, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
The month of May was a busy one for the Smithville Police Department.
Chief Mark Collins reports the following arrests:
38-year-old Charlena Hill of Smithville is charged with public intoxication. Chief Collins said that on May 22 police were summoned to North Congress Boulevard where a woman was spotted walking in the middle of the road and was almost hit by a vehicle. Upon arrival, officers found the woman, Hill in the middle of the road and while speaking to her they noticed that she seemed to be impaired. Hill was placed in custody. Her bond was set at $2,000 and she will be in court June 5.
30-year-old Ashley Spivey of Gainesboro is charged with aggravated criminal trespassing and public intoxication. Chief Collins said that on May 20 police responded to South College Street on an unwanted intoxicated person call. Upon arrival officers spoke with the homeowners who reported that they did not know the woman, Spivey and that she had entered their home uninvited. While speaking with Spivey, the officers noticed that she seemed to be impaired. Spivey was placed in custody. Her bond is $5,500 and she will be in court June 5.
20-year-old John Lawson of Smithville is cited for contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of a vape product. According to Chief Collins, police were called to Walmart May 16 on a fight complaint and upon arrival found Lawson and detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from his vehicle. A juvenile was also in the same automobile and the teen was cited for simple possession of a schedule VI drug and possession of a vape product. Lawson’s court date is June 12.
47-year-old Brian Timberman of Smithville is cited for inhalants. Chief Collins said that on May 16 police were called to AAA Coatings where an employee was reported to be intoxicated. Upon arrival officers spoke with management and the employee, Timberman. He (Timberman) admitted to having inhaled contents of an aerosol can while at work. He was escorted off the property. Timberman’s court date is June 5.
62-year-old Frank Reynolds, Jr. of Smithville is charged with domestic assault and violation of an order of protection. According to Chief Collins, police responded to Estes Street on May 15 due to a domestic complaint. Upon arrival officers found evidence of an assault and determined that Reynolds was the primary aggressor. Police also learned that Reynolds was under an order to keep away from a person on the scene. Reynolds was placed in custody. His bond is $6,500.
57-year-old Michael White of Smithville is charged with DUI and cited for driving on roadways laned for traffic. Chief Collins said that on May 15 officers were summoned to Walmart due to a DUI. While enroute an officer spotted a vehicle traveling in the middle of the road on Anthony Avenue and pulled it over. While speaking with the driver, White, the officer noticed that he seemed to be impaired. White submitted to but performed poorly on field sobriety tasks. White was placed in custody.
25-year-old Faedra Burns of Smithville is charged with domestic assault and resisting arrest. According to Chief Collins, police were called to Smith Road May 9 due to a domestic in progress complaint. Upon arrival officers found evidence of an assault and determined that Burns was the primary aggressor. During the investigation, Burns became upset and started yelling before trying to flee on foot. After officers caught up with Burns she started physically trying to fight them. Burns was placed in custody. Her bond was set at $5,000.
18-year-old Fredrick Oberdier of Smithville is charged with underage consumption. Chief Collins said that on May 4 an officer was on general patrol at 2:33 a.m. on East Broad Street when he spotted a suspicious man outside a business. Upon stopping and speaking with the man, Oberdier the officer noticed that he seemed to be impaired. Oberdier told the officer that he had just turned 18 and had a lot to drink. He was placed in custody. His bond is $2,500.
Jury still out on whether plans for county zoning are to move forward (View Video Here)
May 29, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
A move toward county zoning seems to have stalled at least for now.
View Proposed County Zoning Map at link below)
In recent months the DeKalb County Regional Planning Commission has been conducting a study, at the request of the county commission (11-1 vote last September), on the development of a plan for county zoning, outside the municipalities. A resolution is in the works, and a proposed county zoning map was unveiled at the April planning commission meeting. At that time the planning commission decided to send the proposed map to the full county commission for review and if the commission still wanted to move forward changes could be made before or after it was sent back to the planning commission for further study. The planning commission’s final recommendation for passage of a county zoning resolution and map, which could still be months away, must then return to the county commission for a vote on implementation followed by a public hearing. But instead of making progress on zoning, the effort seems to have stalled with a more divided county commission.
During Thursday night’s regular monthly meeting, the county commission took two separate votes but neither failed to get a majority from the 14-member body on making any recommendation back to the planning commission.
The first motion was made by Commissioner Larry Green to “send it back to the planning commission for further study”. Commissioner Tony Luna offered a second to the motion. Although the vote was 7 to 4 in favor it failed because 8 votes (of the 14 member commission) were needed to make it official. Three commissioners, Myron Rhody, Tom Chandler, and Tony “Cully” Culwell were absent. Those voting in favor in addition to Commissioners Green and Luna were Beth Pafford, Andy Pack, Mathias Anderson, Brandon Donnell, and Sabrina Farler. Commissioners voting no were Greg Matthews, Glynn Merriman, Daniel Cripps, and Jeff Barnes. Both Matthews and Barnes (no votes) are members of the planning commission. Commissioners Pafford and Pack are also planning commission members.
Commissioner Luna later in the meeting moved to table the discussion until the next county commission workshop in June and Commissioner Green seconded the motion. But again the result was 7-4 in favor with 8 votes needed for approval.
The issue may still be revisited by the county commission later and it doesn’t preclude the planning commission from continuing its study.
“I don’t like this. It’s 14 people (county commission) telling county residents what they can do with their property. Its more government over people. I don’t like that and I don’t think its fair,” said Merriman.
“All this is just exploring. We are not passing anything tonight,” replied Commissioner Luna.
Commissioner Pafford said a fair hearing should be given on the study.”
“We really haven’t talked about this a whole lot. The map was just presented to us a couple of months ago. He (Tommy Lee, Director of the Upper Cumberland Development District, who serves as UCDD staff planner and advisor to DeKalb County) said it’s the initial one and we should get feedback. I believe it has to go before the public for a hearing before it can ever get passed by the county commission. Other counties have taken a couple of years to get it (zoning) worked out. Now that we have (discovered) a (county) growth plan we could use that in the study. All the information the planning commission can get would be helpful,” said Commissioner Pafford.
At the meeting in April, Lee explained what the planning commission has accomplished to date.
“For the last six months or so the planning commission has been working on a proposed zoning resolution to regulate land use within unincorporated DeKalb County. To go along with that resolution, you must have a zoning map which identifies every parcel in unincorporated DeKalb County and places a zoning designation on that parcel. Tonight (Monday, April 14) what we did was the planning commission reviewed the proposed zoning map and recommended that the county commission review it and give us some feedback on it,” said Lee.
Using neighboring Cannon County’s zoning ordinance as a model, Lee explained that the proposed DeKalb County resolution and zoning map also has basically four zoning districts: residential, commercial, industrial, and agriculture.
“There are four different designations on the zoning map. The color green represents agriculture and makes up about 95% of the county. The yellow designation is for residential. Purple is for industrial and red is for commercial lots,” said Lee.
In September, the county commission voted 11-1 to authorize the county planning commission to begin the process of establishing criteria for zoning in DeKalb County outside the municipalities which already have zoning subject to a public hearing and final adoption by the county commission.
