Mayor Lambert wins re-election, city-owned schools amendment OK'd in East Ridge

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photo Brent Lambert
photo A new Bass Pro Shop is set for development off I-75 Exit 1 in East Ridge, Hamilton County's second most populous city. East Ridge is using border tax to aid the exit's revival.

East Ridge Mayor Brent Lambert was re-elected to a second term Tuesday night, but he said before the victory that his contest wasn't the most talked-about item on the city's ballot this month. Lambert defeated Vice Mayor Jim Bethune and challenger Frances Pope, a local political activist.

Voters in Hamilton County's second-most-populous city also had four amendments to the city charter to decide on Thursday. The talker, said Lambert, was Amendment Four, which if passed would allow the city to form its own school system, independent of the county, if the city's residents decided to do so.

"It's good to at least have that as an opportunity," said Lambert on Thursday.

State law formerly forbade municipalities that have never had an independent school system from forming one. But that law was overturned in 2013 .

East Ridge took advantage of the change Tuesday, passing Amendment Four and three other charter changes.

Amendment One slightly alters some city corporate powers, and it narrows nonresident voting rights only to folks who own property in the city in their own names. The charter formerly stated that anyone who owned property in the city could vote.

Amendment Two tweaks hiring and firing rules for the city manager, city attorney, mayor and council members. It also allows City Council members to vote in a council meeting to disallow members of the public from speaking during meetings. It establishes grounds to review the city charter every five years. And the amendment makes it so that mayor and council salaries can only be altered by referendum, and not during voting members' terms in office.

Amendment Three tweaks city attorney and city judge qualifications and compensation, as well as some annexation procedures.

In the pick-two City Council race, incumbent Larry Sewell won re-election and former city employee and political newcomer Jacky Cagle came in second to fill all vacant council spots.

Former council member Marc Gravitt won the District 30 State Rep. seat Tuesday night.

Compiled by staff writer Alex Green, who can be reached at agreen@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6480.

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