In Kentucky, it isn’t often that a city council person must resign to follow state law and the Commonwealth’s Public Pension Authority, in order to meet specific guidelines about credited time in the County Employee Retirement System and the Kentucky Teacher Retirement System.
But such is the case for Councilman Brian Futrell, who on Friday celebrates his final day as an employee of the Trigg County Public School system, but on Wednesday saw his August 19 letter of resignation accepted in special session of the Cadiz City Council.
Futrell was not physically present, so through a phone conversation with the News Edge, he said this isn’t exactly how he thought this scenario would play out — especially when he first put in his papers to step away from education.
However, after multiple conversations with CERS, KTRS, City Attorney Allen Wilson and Kentucky League of Cities official J.D. Chaney, the only way to legally receive his pension service right away is to sit out a full year from duty — before potentially throwing his name back into the civic hat.
Futrell would have eclipsed his 10th year in the seat this upcoming December, thanks to strong personal polling numbers in the last decade.
Through unison, Mayor Todd King and city councilors said they would miss Futrell and his efforts — particularly as a voice for education in the community.
In the wake of this change, council members unanimously nominated and appointed Todd Wallace to fill Futrell’s seat. Council members could have legally elected and accepted any interested person within the city limits, or left the position vacant, but instead opted to approve the only non-incumbent to file for a city council position this November.
Wallace told the News Edge that he will accept the nomination and be sworn in during the regularly-scheduled Tuesday, September 3 council meeting. However, one legal condition of this switch will be his pending resignation as chairman of the Cadiz-Trigg County Planning Commission — a position he’s held since following in the footsteps of former commissioners Bob Brame and Mike Heffington.
With many local matters still in the balance, Wallace also said he will attend next month’s CTCPC meeting, in order to conduct proper transition of authority.
