When Billy K. Smith ended his term as second district magistrate at the first of the year, he left as one of the longest-serving public officials in Clinton County.

Not only did Smith serve two terms as magistrate, but had also served some 22 years as a member of the Clinton County Board of Education–a public service record spanning 30 years over a span of four decades.

After taking several years off after serving on the school board, Smith was elected magistrate in 2002 and re-elected in 2006.

Smith said associating with other magistrates and working together to improve Clinton County was the two primary things he would miss the most about the position.

The things he won’t miss, he said, were getting requests from citizens that were not feasible or impractical and also not being able to respond to good suggestions due to lack of money or funding for some projects.

Smith listed several changes and accomplishments he has seen over the past eight years that were most gratifying, including being able to help get bridges constructed and roads graveled or blacktopped in needed areas, among others.

“During my time on the fiscal court, there have been four new bridges built in my district (in front of Stony Point Church, the Edwards Road, the Duvall Road leading to Oak Grove Church and the Beaty Creek Road) plus numerous roads re-surfaced as well as the widening of some others,” he said.

“The first gravel road I was responsible for getting blacktopped was the Smith Creek Drive off Hwy. 696,” Smith continued.

He then proceeded to list the numerous roads that received repairs during his tenure on the court: The Concord Road was widened, re-surfaced and striped. The list re-surfaced in the Hayes-Maupin precinct includes Luther Lane, Smith Road, Asberry Road, Beaty Cemetery Road, Beaty Creek-Bald Rock Road from the Tennessee line to the Wayne County line (four plus miles), Koger Mountain Road, Beech Bottom Cemetery Road, Rolan Road, McIver Road, Gray and Savage Road, Edwards Road, Duvall Valley Road, Covey Road, Old Savage Hill Road and 2.4 miles of the Sugar Valley Road, as well as the Lower Oak Grove, Old Ky. East and Catron Roads.

The Nora precinct list includes the Upchurch Road, Autumn Drive and Poplar Lane, Stony Point Road, Joyce Conner Road, Old Cartwright Road, Coon Trail Spur, Cartwright Cemetery Road, Davis Chapel Cemetery Road, Murphy and Kempton Road, the Pleasant Ridge Road was patched, and the Alpha and Pleasant Ridge Road was widened and re-surfaced.

Improvements to the county road system in his district weren’t the only accomplishments Smith was glad to see since the early ‘90s. He noted that the completion of the Bald Rock water line project was all done by grants secured with the help of Senator David L. Williams and State Representative Jeff Hoover, at no cost to county taxpayers.

Smith was also in office during the opening of the Somerset Community College-Clinton Center, which he noted provides the opportunity to further educational opportunities and allows residents to take college courses without having to travel outside Clinton County.

Further, the former magistrate noted there have been no increase in county tax rates, which have remained unchanged locally despite the recent downed economy.

Smith added he would still like to see more job opportunities to enable young people to stay at home to work and would like to see the current administration continue to work to bring new factories and businesses that can provide good paying jobs with benefits.

Former magistrate Smith served under two county judge/executive’s, Donnie McWhorter and current Judge Lyle Huff.

Smith is a retired tobacco and cattle farmer and former route salesman for Southern Belle Dairy, where he was employed for some 25 years.

Smith is a life-long resident of Clinton County and still lives on the family farm where he grew up. He and his wife Geneva have been married 52 years and have two children, four grandchildren and one great-grandson. His son, Ricky and wife Connie reside in Bowling Green along with his granddaughter Melanie and her husband Jeremy Wyatt, plus the newest member of the family, their son (Smith’s great-grandson) Lincoln. His daughter Kathy Lee and her three sons, Halen, Daniel and Jarrod Latham, all still live here in Clinton County.

Smith concluded by saying, “Prior to my two terms on the fiscal court, I served 22 years as a school board member for the Clinton County Board of Education (Jan. 1, 1969 through Dec. 31, 1990). When combined with my eight years as a magistrate, I have a total of 30 years of service to the citizens of Clinton County.

“I appreciate the opportunity that the people gave me to serve in these positions. I was fortunate to be able to attend 100% of all meetings (both regular and called) during the last eight years.

“I have truly enjoyed working for the fiscal court and representing the second district and will continue to do whatever I can for the betterment of Clinton County.”