In the long-running dispute between County Mayor Weston Wamp and County Attorney Rheubin Taylor, a judge on Wednesday came down on the side of attorney Taylor.
Chancellor Jeff Atherton upheld a contract between attorney Taylor and the prior County Commission that extended his term until 2025.
Judge Neil Thomas, lawyer for attorney Taylor, said, “We believe that the Court was correct in upholding the sanctity of contracts when it found the County Attorney’s contract valid. We hope that the parties will resolve themselves to work cohesively towards the best interests of this county.”
County Mayor Wamp said, “For decades, the county attorney has run a private legal firm out of his government office while being paid handsomely as a full-time county employee. After receiving legal opinions on our right to appoint and fire the county attorney from Dwight Tarwater, who has been confirmed as a justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, and the state’s County Technical Assistance Service, we terminated Mr. Taylor.
