By Paul Leach
Correspondent
BENTON, Tenn. -- Polk County election commissioners have released Elections Administrator Doris Wise from her post and appointed Deputy Administrator Melitte Harrison interim administrator.
Wise submitted her separation notice, effective March 31, to the commission at its recent meeting to certify the Nov. 2 ballots. In the letter she offered to become the deputy if the election commission would name Harrison as administrator. The letter also stated that Wise would leave the office the day any administrator was named other than Harrison.
At the meeting, Democrats Freeman Curbow and Mack York made a motion to name Harrison. Chairman Ronnie O'Neal and the other Republicans, Frank Payne and Bill Frady, voted against the motion.
Afterward, Payne motioned to make Wise's separation immediate and appoint Harrison as interim administrator. Frady seconded, and the Republicans carried the vote 3 to 2 after a heated discussion.
Wise said her dismissal was "absolutely unexpected." She advised that she is awaiting a response from the state elections office on the issue.
"She has been treated wrong," York said after the meeting, praising her service to the county.
Regarding the conflict over Wise's discontinued employment, O'Neal said, "We tried to explain that you can't have two administrators at the same time in the meeting."
O'Neal also stated that Wise had submitted a resignation letter in May but rescinded her decision before the end of the day it was submitted. With the office's decreased workload, which Wise noted in her recent separation letter, he thought it appropriate to go ahead and let her leave, he said.
York said he protested the meeting because the agenda was not advertised even if public notice of the meeting had been given. He also questioned whether commission business was discussed before the meeting in violation of the state's open records law.
O'Neal said it is the responsibility of the elections administrative office to post public notices. He said no business was discussed before the meeting.
County Attorney Jimmy Logan said he has been contacted "but I have not yet received a formal request to render an opinion on the matter."
The next election commission meeting is Dec. 16 at 3 p.m.
Paul Leach is based in Bradley County. E-mail him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com