Commission vote keeps fireworks sales ban in place
As New Years Eve approaches, Anderson County is keeping the same policy, banning firework sales outside of its cities as before, despite an attempt at change.
The Operations Committee passed a motion to rescind the private act on fireworks, which the county has had since 1947.
However, at the full Anderson County Commission meeting on Dec. 15, it failed to pass.
Commissioner Michael Foster made the motion and Commissioner Phil Yager seconded. Rescinding the ordinance would have required a two-thirds vote. It failed to reach that level, getting seven “no” votes and eight “yes” votes.
Commissioners Steven Verran, Ebony Capshaw, Shain Vowell, Tim Isbel, Tracy Wandell, Chad McNabb and Jerry White voted “no.”
Commission Chairman Denise Palmer and commissioners Yager, Foster, Shelly Vandagriff, Robert Smallridge, Joshua Anderson, Robert McKamey and Anthony Allen voted “yes.”
Palmer told The Courier News that Tracy Parker-Foust with Parker Family Fireworks Inc. wanted to sell fireworks from temporary tents in Anderson County as her business already does in other counties.
Parker-Foust, Palmer said, had wanted the rules to change back in 2021, and the county’s committees and departments had been discussing the issue this year.
Palmer said the surrounding counties don’t ban fireworks sales.
“We would like to keep the revenue in Anderson County,” she said.
Foster pointed out that if the county got rid of its private act, state regulations would apply, and those would allow for fireworks sales. Mayor Terry Frank, however, told the commission that the state would still inspect fireworks stores.
The county could pass a new private act, however, with different regulations after rescinding the old one. Frank suggested the county could use taxes generated from fireworks sales for local fire departments.
“This private act is older than me and I’m old,” said McKamey. “I think it’s time to abolish it, do away with it, go under the state law.”
He said the commission could “come back” after doing that to pass regulations “that fit us more in this day and time.”
Allen, despite voting “yes” in the final vote, had concerns beforehand.
“I think that it is a safety issue,” he said. “I feel that they’re very, very dangerous, and I’ve had some constituents talk to me about the noise issue and the danger issue also.” He added he would like more input from fire chiefs.
Isbel said there were things in the private act that needed to be cleaned up. However, he said he voted “no” due to his role on a volunteer fire department and concerns about fire hazards.
Frank said that the Anderson County Fire Commission had made a motion to stay neutral.
“They aren’t going to promote fireworks, but what they did say in their motion was that they wanted us to meet the minimum state standards,” she said.
“They’re in the business of fighting fires, not promoting them,” Isbel said.
However, Isbel said he understood the reason why some might want to rescind it.
“There are things in there that make it if you have a sparkler, you would be guilty of a crime, basically,” he said. He said he was not, however, in favor of the unincorporated areas of the county allowing sales.
He pointed out the city of Rocky Top allows fireworks sales and that the county couldn’t control the laws within its municipalities on the subject.