The Limestone County Commission approved a tax abatement Wednesday for a county firm that is planning expansion of its precision machine shop off U.S. 72 in eastern Limestone County.

Commissioners voted 4-0 to abate more than $11,000 in taxes for Lee Precision Machine Shop Inc. The plant now employs 30 workers with plans to expand with an additional six employees in three years.

“It doesn’t matter what part of the county they are in, they are still in Limestone County, and their expansion is great news,” said District 1 Commissioner Tommy Raby Jr. “We’re certainly glad they are expanding.”

Commissioners said when Lee first announced its location in Limestone County, owners had hoped to start with 20 workers. They said the plant has steadily grown and expects to continue that growth on in the future.

In other action Wednesday, commissioners voted to employ Jonathan D. Hinton as communication officer at the Limestone County Jail, employed David Freeman as information technology coordinator for the County Commission and hired Sonya Anthony as grant coordinator in the Limestone Revenue Enhancement office, all pending passage of drug and alcohol screening.

Commissioners will vote Monday to:

• Contract with J.M. Wood Auction Company Inc. to auction Mack trucks for all four districts on March 8-10

• Approve family medical leave for Glenda O. Norton from Dec. 12, 2005 to Jan. 4

• Revise the county’s sick leave policy to include grandchildren

• Levy the county’s 22 mills of ad valorem tax

• Approve new subdivisions, including Newby Plantation off Newby Road at Bradford Drive, and The Woodlands at McCulley Mill Road between Ennis Road and Nick Davis Road. Both subdivisions are in District 2 in eastern Limestone County.