Niles filed suit against the county back in September of 2014. Her suit demanded 6 new employees and higher pay for the existing employees. The suit claimed she could not properly fulfill the duties of the office with out more help. Ironically, at the time she left the office, she two fewer employees than she had when she filed suit proving what a fraud the whole thing was.

The antiquated law that allowed Niles to sue the tax payers, also requires the tax payers to pay her legal fees as well as the county legal fees to defend the tax payers from her. The total legal fees will top $200,000.00.

While $200,000.00 in legal fees is outrageous and should never have happened, it's peanuts compared to what the costs would have been if the county commission had given in to her demands four and a half years ago.  

Had commission just rolled over to Ms. Niles legal threat, the tax payers would have taken a huge hit and a property tax increase would have been required just to pay for her ridiculous demands.

Her September 2014 lawsuit asked for 6 new employees at a starting pay rate of $31,000.00, $66,326.00 in raises for current employees and $50,490.00 for 4 new part time employees. Added to these numbers would be insurance benefits for the 6 new employees and with all the raises and new employees, add another 17.3% for mandatory Social Security, Medicare and retirement costs that increase with wages. That would be another $52,388.00. 

Had the commission caved to her legal extortion back in September 2014 and just given her what she demanded, the county would have added a minimum of $439,204.00 to the 2014-2015 fiscal year, 2015-2016 fiscal year and the 2016-2017 fiscal year, 2017-2018 fiscal year and half of the 2018-2019 fiscal year. In total $1,976,418.00.

So the county spends $200,000.00+ and saves nearly two million dollars. Not a bad trade off.

This is why the county commission chose to take a stand for the tax payers of Loudon County. We could do nothing less on behalf of the citizens we represent. We did not ask for this legal nightmare. Ms. Niles forced it on everyone. She alone is responsible for all the problems and costs associated with it.

Mr. Harrelson should be commended for his swift action in ending the Niles lawsuit.

Ms. Niles is now gone from her elected position, hopefully, never to return.

I say good riddance.