Commissioners ask audience to remove campaign clothing

Those in the audience of the Pulaski County Commissioners’ meeting on Monday were in for a bit of a shock, as commissioner president Terry Young asked them to remove their campaign items from the county grounds. 
Before the meeting started at 6 p.m. Young asked one individual to remove his sweatshirt while another was asked to remove his hat. The front of the sweatshirt read “Make Pulaski great again,” but the back of the sweatshirt was unseen due to the person sitting. 
Young said it was the county policy that campaign material is not allowed on county grounds. 
When it came time for the public comment portion of the meeting, Jerry Locke, who is a candidate for District 1 commissioner, approached the commissioners asking them to cite where in the policy it states that campaign material cannot be worn to a meeting. 
Young then read the policy. “County employees shall not participate, financially or otherwise, in any political campaign or party activity during his/her working hours. This policy includes any threats or coercion by elected officials/department heads or political party officials. County owned equipment shall not be used to generate, copy, or reproduce campaign materials. County vehicles shall not be used to distribute campaign materials. County telephones or facsimile machines shall not be used for campaign purposes.” 
Young later said what he read must have been an old version of the county personnel handbook.