All 11 Hamilton County commissioners are part of a group chat in which they regularly communicate about both county business and personal matters, according to records obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
According to about five months’ worth of text chain records, commissioners converse in the group chat about once a week on average, with communications picking up in frequency around meeting dates. One commissioner said the group chat has gone on for at least a couple of years. A Sunshine Law expert said the records don’t show direct violations of state open meetings law, but some conversations could come close.
A handful of commissioners told the Times Free Press they did not think there was a legal issue with the group chat or what commissioners typically text each other about.