The effort to recall Mayor Ron Littlefield likely will be detoured to Hamilton County Chancery Court if backers gather enough signatures to get the question on the Nov. 2 ballot.
“It’ll go to court,” said Hamilton County Election Administrator Charlotte Mullis-Morgan. “It’ll have to.”
The groups Citizens to Recall Mayor Littlefield, Chattanooga Organized for Action and the Chattanooga Tea Party have filed petitions to recall Littlefield as well as Councilmen Jack Benson and Manny Rico.
Chris Brooks, with Chattanooga Organized for Action, said the group has handed over 12,000 signatures for the election commission to check. Organizers believe they are within striking distance of the 8,957 needed to force a recall election under the city charter.
Mullis-Morgan said that, as of noon Wednesday, 9,323 signatures had been checked and 5,937 were valid.