An August mayoral election will still proceed at the moment after Mayor Ron Littlefield was handed a second legal defeat.
The Tennessee Court of Appeals has decided not to hear an appeal made by Littlefield after it ruled two months ago the Hamilton County Election Commission should have a chance to certify recall petitions. The commission certified those petitions last month and set a recall election for August.
Richard Beeland, spokesman for the mayor, issued a statement this morning saying the decision was “not unexpected.”
“Mayor Ron Littlefield is currently evaluating his legal options and will take action accordingly,” the statement read.
The recall of Littlefield started last year when three groups — Citizens to Recall Mayor Littlefield, Chattanooga Organized for Action and the Chattanooga Tea Party — began circulating petitions to oust the mayor.
The groups collected more than 15,000 signatures and the election commission ratified more than 9,000 of the petitions.
The matter then went to court before the election commission had a chance to vote on whether to certify those petitions.
Circuit Court Judge Jeff Hollingsworth ruled against the petitioners, saying they did not have enough signatures under state law.
An appeals court reversed that decision two months ago.
For more information, read tomorrow’s edition of the Times Free Press.
Cliff has worked for the Times Free Press for five years and covers Chattanooga city government. He previously covered Rhea County, as well as transportation and growth and development in Southeast Tennessee. A native of Maryville, Tenn., Cliff graduated in 2003 from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a crime reporter with Hernando Today, a supplement of The Tampa (Fla.) ...
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