As members of the Soddy-Daisy City Commission filed into their seats for their Sept. 15 meeting, one seat remained empty. Soon after the meeting was called to order, City Manager Janice Cagle reported to attendees that Dr. Patti Skates, the city’s vice mayor, had resigned from her post that day and would not be attending.
Skates, who recently lost her bid for the District 1 Hamilton County School Board seat to incumbent Rhonda Thurman, was elected to serve a four-year term as a Soddy-Daisy commissioner in November 2012. In a later phone conversation about her resignation she said it was due to “medical and personal reasons, and that’s all I’m going to say at this time.”
At the Sept. 15 meeting, commissioners voted Robert Cothran the city’s new vice mayor.
Mayor Rick Nunley said after the meeting that the commission did not plan to appoint anyone to fill Skates’ seat on the board for the remaining weeks of her term, which expires in November. Hers is one of three seats, along with those of commissioners Geno Shipley and Jim Adams, up for grabs in the November election.
All three have qualified to run, in addition to Max Lowe and William H. Layne.