JOHN COFFELT Contributor

County Attorney Edward North has officially resigned from his position, according to Interim County Mayor Dennis Hunt.

Hunt said that the decision was budgetary, after the Budget and Finance Committee approved a draft of the fiscal budget for 2024-25 that cuts spending. This included a reduction from $125,000 to $65,400 for the county attorney.

Hunt said the county was beginning a search for a new county attorney.

The late Coffee County Mayor Judd Matheny appointed North as the temporary part-time Coffee County attorney, effective Oct. 1, 2022.  He followed longtime County Attorney Robert ‘Bob” Huskey who retired in 2022.

Prior to his retirement, Huskey presented the full County Commission a request for a raise for the position after 14 years at the rate of $52,000 budgeted at the time, plus retainer.  

Hunt said at the Budget and Finance meeting when he proposed the change in legal fees that if the county exceeds the $65,000, a budget amendment could be made to cover the overages.