Staff Photo by John Rawlston/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Mike Carter talks with reporters outside the Hamilton County Commission room on Monday morning after commissioners deadlocked on making a choice between Carter and Commissioner Jim Coppinger to replace County Mayor Claude Ramsey, who will resign Jan. 11.Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd recently found a new job with a local company headed up by a man who supports special assistant to the mayor Mike Carter's bid to become the next county mayor.
On Monday, Boyd voted in favor of Carter replacing Mayor Claude Ramsey, who leaves in January to join Gov.-elect Bill Haslam's staff.
The commission tied 4-4 between Carter and County Commissioner Jim Coppinger on Monday. Along with Boyd, Commissioners Chester Bankston, Warren Mackey and Greg Beck voted for Carter.
Boyd recently has been hired by ERMC, whose President and CEO Emerson Russell is friend of Carter. Russell has said he would like to see Carter replace outgoing Ramsey.
ERMC provides an array of facility services, including maintenance, janitorial and security.
Boyd works for the private security company TriState Security -- a division of ERMC -- and Russell said the final decision to hire Boyd was made by TriState officials, not him. He also said Boyd's employment status with TriState had nothing to do with whether the commissioner supported Carter.
"That's absolutely not true in any way, shape, form or fashion," Russell said. "I feel that he had some good skills. He, I think, has the management skills to help that company grow. That's the reason why we elected to hire him."
Boyd said his new job had nothing to do with his decision to support Carter.
"Absolutely not," Boyd said. "This was in the works before anybody in the county knew Claude would be leaving. I could go back to records when Emerson and I started talking about job possibilities."
Ramsey turned in his letter of resignation on Dec. 9, and Boyd went to work for TriState Security on Dec. 13.
The company also employs Trent Wamp, brother of U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn. Zach Wamp also supported Carter after saying he was not interested in the county mayor's job.
Staff Photo by John Rawlston/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Hamilton County Mayor Jim CoppingerWamp did not return a call seeking comment.
Boyd said he serves as an operations manager for the company and his primary duties are to "grow the business through sales."
Carter said he did not believe Boyd's new job had anything to do with the commissioner's vote Monday.
"That'd be an absurdity," Carter said.
Russell said he believes Carter would be a good mayor because of his previous private business experience and his role as Ramsey's assistant.
"He should already be up on what's really going on in that office, which I think would make a huge, huge difference," Russell said.
Boyd said he supported Carter because of his "creative thinking."
"I think for Hamilton County to move forward, it's going to take some out-of-the-box thinking," Boyd said.
Boyd said he had been looking for permanent work since leaving P&C Construction on Sept. 3 after three weeks on the job. At the time, he said his commission schedule would not allow him to fulfill his responsibilities with the company.
Before that, Boyd worked as a manager at Southeast Carpenters.
County Attorney Rheubin Taylor said Boyd did not need to disclose his employment status before voting.
"There's no implication that he's under the influence of somebody else," Taylor said. "Everybody has supported somebody. It's not like he's working for Carter."
Contact staff writer Dan Whisenhunt at dwhisenhunt@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6481. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DWhisenhunt.