Dan Johnson, Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield’s Chief of StaffHOW THEY VOTEDAgainst the proposal made by Chattanooga to reopen the growth boundaries:• Jim Adams, Soddy-Daisy mayor• Rob Bradham, representative for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce• Greg Brown, Lookout Mountain mayor• Al Cox, representative for Hamilton County• Mike Evatt, Hamilton County Board of Education• Tim Gobble, East Ridge representative• Bill Lusk, Signal Mountain mayor• Monty Millard, Red Bank mayor• John Turner, Collegedale mayor• Dr. Patrick Tyree, soil conservation• Ken Wilkerson, Lakesite mayor• Jim Coppinger, chairman and Hamilton County mayorVoting for the proposal:• Richard Beeland, Chattanooga representative• Harold Depriest, EPB• Dan Johnson, Chattanooga chief of staff• Candice Poole, Ridgeside mayor• Helen Burns Sharp, Chattanooga representativeAbstentions:• Michael Stewart, Walden city attorney• Mary Stewart Lewis, AT&T representative
Mayor Ron Littlefield was handed a political defeat Thursday night on the heels of two legal defeats within the last two months.
An urban growth committee he asked to be commissioned voted 12-5 Thursday night not to entertain any proposals from Chattanooga on opening up talks on urban growth boundaries or consolidation. Two members abstained.
“The burden of proof was on the city of Chattanooga,” said County Mayor Jim Coppinger, chairman of the committee. “As they stated, they had no specific amendment.”
The meeting lasted for about 20 minutes with a five-minute recess to record vote tallies. In the end, the Chattanooga mayor, who is in Germany this week on business, could only rustle up a literal handful of votes.