Daily Dose for July 11, 2008

Chattanooga Election Official Causes Two Ballot Reprintings

Chattanooga Election Official Causes Two Ballot Reprintings -- An election worker in Chattanooga has been reassigned after a second ballot mistake was found in less than a week - necessitating a second reprinting of ballots at a cost of $33,000. The latest error was that an opponent of Rep. Zach Wamp was left off the Hamilton County Republican ballots. Teresa Sheppard of Luttrell is in that race. The first error in which the U.S. Senate race was left off both Democratic and Republican ballots caused the reprinting of 140,000 ballots.

Vincent Leads Campaign Money Against Cobb -- The Republican primary between former State Rep. Jim Vincent and sitting Rep. Jim Cobb is heating up, with Vincent lending his campaign $25,000 in April to kickoff fundraising of $33,430.04. Vincent has spent most of that amount with only $2,000 cash on hand. However, that is more cash on hand than Cobb, who has raised $5,300 and has $992.96 cash on hand.

Constituent Letters Subject to Open Records Laws -- A Knox Co. case has pointed out that constiutent communications between a county commissioner and the public are subject to the state's Open Records Laws. Ann Butterworth, director of the state's Office of Open Records Counsel, wrote that under the Open Records Act, "access must be granted to constituent communications received by an elected local government official 'in connection with the transaction of official business.' Access may be denied if the information contained in the communication is deemed otherwise by law to be confidential. Generally speaking, communication of an opinion on a matter to an elected local government official is not deemed confidential." In the case, Victoria DeFreese, a Knox Co. Commissioner, has argued against turning over the information to the Knox Co. Mayor's Office on the grounds it would stiffle constituents ability to communicate with their representatives.

East Ridge Begins Fight Over Taxes -- After City Manager Curtis Adams proposed a 46c property tax increase, members of the city council are seeking to remove him from that post. East Ridge Vice Mayor Jerry Petty on Thursday night made a motion to replace Adams. Other members of the leadership of the city defended Adams saying the city has not had a tax increase in 13 years and it wouldn't be prudent to continue to pull from reserve funds. They also raised concerns that replacing Adams might be expensive. City officials seem upset with a speech Adams made unveiling the tax increase, which he said he was "proud of."

Posted by Adam Groves | Email This |