Anthony Byrd vacating Chattanooga City Council seat to take over as city court clerk

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd/ City of Chattanooga Councilman Anthony Byrd is vacating his seat on the council after being appointed city court clerk by Mayor Tim Kelly.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd/ City of Chattanooga Councilman Anthony Byrd is vacating his seat on the council after being appointed city court clerk by Mayor Tim Kelly.

Chattanooga City Council member Anthony Byrd has been appointed as the city court clerk and will vacate his District 8 seat.

Mayor Tim Kelly announced the appointment Tuesday afternoon. Byrd, of Orchard Knob, will no longer participate in council votes, and he will officially resign once the appointment is approved by council members, according to the news release.

"We're blessed to have someone of Councilman Byrd's caliber and experience who is willing to serve in this critical role for our community," Kelly said in a statement. "He brings not only decades of relevant experience to the position but has also demonstrated that he cares for our residents and is willing to go the extra mile to ensure our residents get excellent service."

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Byrd, in addition to not voting, will not attend any future council meetings to avoid any perceived conflicts of interest. It will be up to council members to determine how to fill the seat.

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"I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue this urgent work on behalf of our community," Byrd said in a statement. "Serving the residents of District 8 has been the honor of my life, and I'm looking forward to the chance to serve all the residents of every district moving forward as the city implements Mayor Kelly's One Chattanooga strategy."

In his resignation letter, Byrd said the decision was made "with great gratitude and also no small degree of sadness."

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Byrd's salary as a council member was $26,919, said Kelly spokesperson Ellis Smith. His salary as clerk will be $85,000.

The city court handles traffic, parking and garbage violations and some animal cases. The clerk runs the office, supports the judges, keeps the records and collects the fines.

Contact Logan Hullinger at lhullinger@timesfreepress.com or 814-319-5158. Follow him on Twitter @LoganHullinger.

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