Bluff City Officials Attempt To Block Future Recall Efforts
BLUFF CITY, Tenn. – City officials are working to prevent future recall efforts against them through a series of charter changes approved during a special meeting Thursday.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 4-1 in favor of the changes, which also include a plan to make all city employees at-will employees.
“I don’t think it’s right,” said LonGene Leonard, a former Bluff City Alderman who led an unsuccessful recall effort against four board members in the November election.
Leonard’s effort targeted Malone, Vice Mayor J.C. Gentry, Alderman Don Weaver and Alderwoman Irene Wells. The proposal failed by a 3-to-2 margin when it went before voters Nov. 4.
Gentry, Weaver, Wells and Alderman Mark Weaver voted in favor of the proposed changes. Alderman Melvin Carrier cast the dissenting vote.
To be adopted, the proposed charter changes must pass a vote in both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly and be signed by the state’s governor. Once that happens, two-thirds of the board members must approve the proposed changes at a second meeting before any can go into effect.
“We’ve got a dictatorship and we’re going to have an even worse one if this thing passes the General Assembly,” Leonard said after Thursday’s meeting.
Leonard said he also is troubled by the city’s decision to vote on the changes during a special meeting that did not allow for citizen comments.
The proposed changes also include provisions that would make the city recorder and city police chief at-will employees and do away with their property rights. Those two changes mean the board can hire and fire city employees without a formal cause or public hearing, something the current charter requires. The changes also will allow the board to reappoint each employee when each two-year term starts.
Police Chief David Nelson said neither he nor any of the seven police officers he supervises had any problems with either of these personnel changes.
“They can’t just walk in and fire you,” Nelson said after Thursday’s meeting. “There’s still a policy that they have to follow.”
Bluff City is one of only a few cities in Tennessee that does not operate with an at-will policy, Nelson said, and his officers felt comfortable with their jobs.
While both of these measures will move forward after Thursday’s meeting, one controversial charter change will not see the light of day.
Board members voted 4-1 to remove a section from their proposed changes that would allow the city to charge a hotel-motel tax on any campground, RV Park or bed and breakfast operating within its limits.
Forty-five Tennessee municipalities – including Bristol, Kingsport and Johnson City – charge a hotel tax. The average rate is 5 percent, though some cities charge as much as 7 percent.
Board members last tried to create a city motel tax when they added it to a proposed charter change approved in a February meeting. The General Assembly and Gov. Phil Bredesen signed off on this plan in April. But the proposed hotel tax quickly died when board members failed to ratify it at their May meeting. The hotel tax provision needed support from four board members to go forward, but only garnered three votes.
Carrier voted against the hotel tax in May while Wells abstained. Wells asked the board to pull the hotel tax from Thursday night’s list of proposed changes.
“This is not the time [to add a tax] when all of us are having a problem,” Wells said. “We need to try to work with the few businesses we have.”
The charter changes approved Thursday also include provisions that would: change when and how often board meetings take place; call for a special election if three or more seats on the board are vacated; and remove the mayor and city recorder’s ability to serve as a judge in the city court.
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Reader Reactions
evaningstar posted “I am not upset with the changes to the charter” and then, in the same post said “I think that abolishing to right to recall is unjust”. Very strange.
I say NO TO RECALLS! Citizens have their voice on election day. They choose who will represent them and they should vote wisely.
I am not in favor of tax payer money being WASTED on recalls based on lies! Leonard’s recalls cost Bluff City alot of money and he should have to pay the city back since all of his recall attempts FAILED! Bluff City cannot afford to waste time and/or money on recalls that are merely attempts to get people thrown out of office that beat you and your friends in the last election. Leonard used the recalls as a tool to get his group’s agenda into last year’s budget process. Leonard played the system and got away with it. He wasted the city’s time and money and should have to pay the city back for every penny that the recall cost. All tax payers in Bluff City should be OUTRAGED that Leonard wasted their money on his personal attacks based on a bunch of lies.
That is exactly why recalls need to be taken out of the city’s charter!
I have been a city resident and small business owner in Bluff City for a long time. The new charter change, no doubt is going to interesting. I like the way this board initiates new resloutions in the board meetings. BANG, one of them usually drops a motion on the board unsight unseen.
This board knows its destiny, where its going eventually. I like their composure which is usually laid back,
comfortable, considerate and eventually to the point. They have their way of getting things done which mostly is for the good of the people. In their own way, they know how to handle citizens, city employees and others that are always trying to defame them or make them look irresponsible in the eyes of the citizens. This board must have a secret agenda that will, in due time put all in order in reference to town citizens and city employees that cause
distraction or confusion in city hall. Their road map will eventually get them from point A to point B. In the final analysis, city employees and city citizens that continue to cause havoc in the city meetings and in the workplace will have to pay the price.
I’m proud of this board, they are doing a good job for the voters that put them in office. Alderman Melvin Carrier is the only exception, but time will phase Carrier and a few more flea bags out of the picture.
Still here, thanks for asking Norton!! Very glad to see the postings are what they are meant for now, mostly. No personal attacks but only job or BMA business related opinions. Merry Christmas to all of you here and may God bless you all.
Regardless of all the opinions posted by all of you bloggers, you will not have any influence as to whether the charter is changed or not changed.
PUT THIS THING TO REST !!!!!!!
I am not upset with the changes to the charter. I actually haven’t responded to a post since last week. But I think that abolishing to right to recall is unjust and puts alot of power in the hands of a very small number of people. The city of Bristol TN had a recall and it was effective and you don’t see them trying to do away with that right to the public that votes for them. But, as far as the at will employment, I spoke of unemployment because if a person is terminated the first thing they do is file for unemployment. And although a company may have a policy outlining certain things, those policies are not necessarily upheld by the state. A person can sign a company policy on attendance and break that policy over and over and still receive unemployment if a state worker deems that they had a good reason to miss. The point of all this is that Tennessee and Virginia are at will states. Any employer can release an employee with or without cause..that is the bottom line. They do not have to have a reason.
I don’t know what basis you have for thinking that I am Judy Delaney. I can assure you that I am not. As I said, I work in the employment industry. I hire and fire on a weekly basis and was just putting some real facts out there. I deal with the unemployment office on a daily basis with claims and although the person you terminate may have broken rules in your companies policy manual they can still receive unemployment. Just speaking from experience. EVIDENCE. I don’t know who you are but I do not have any hidden agengas for posting here. Anyone that has read the posts that I have put here can attest to that. I don’t know what your stake is here in this situation but you really shouldn’t make such assumptions of people.
I work in the employment industry and I just want to say that any employer can terminate you at any time with or without reason. You may later be able to convince the state to give you unemployment based on the reason of termination but employers are protected. And trust me, they know the rules and it is not hard to come up with a legitimate reason to terminate someone. Tennessee and Virginia both are an at-will state and that protects teh employer and the employee unless you have an employment contract. Don’t think that your employer has to have good grounds to fire you…they don’t.
Thank you, nuffsaid!!! Hopefully this will clarify my statements for Secret Agent - as it is not my intent to suggest that anyone WAS bribed. Secret Agent has yet to reply to my earlier questions. I’m not trying to be rude or facetious - I’m just posing legitimate questions and hoping for sound, “appropriate” answers to them. Some of us are just trying to understand how it is that this charter is a “done deal”. My thanks also to those of you who took the time to respond in such a polite and courteous manner. I truly appreciate that.
Let me see if I can help you itsappropriate: the only way Secret Agent can KNOW for SURE, without the use of physic powers or a crystal ball, that the charter is a DONE DEAL would be if you or others have bribed the concerned parties. It was not said that the concerned parties WERE bribed—only that you could only KNOW this for certain, without physic help, is if they WERE bribed. I think you mean you BELIEVE this charter will pass since it is like most others. You have FAITH that it will pass since there is no reason it shouldn’t. I believe that itsappropiate was only questioning why you have presented it as a done deal. The only problem I have with this charter, if I might state my opinion without fear of retribution since we do live in a wonderful country where I am able to do that, is that it sounds, now I say SOUNDS since I have not read the new charter, as if a lot of power is going to be placed in the hands of a few. I also don’t know who would want to take a job that will last two years only, knowing that if ill favor blows in you will be gone with the next board voted in. We will just have to wait and see if this is going to be beneficial to all. I am sure that Mr. F. is educated and responsible enough to do the drafting. The charter will most likely go through. Changes will be made in city hall. I hope all of you get what you ask for if that will make Bluff City a better place.
I must agree with SECRET AGENT. The new charter for Bluff City will be very similar to all city charters in Tennessee. Why would the Assembly pass a charter for one municipality and not pass a similar charter for Bluff City.
Being passed by the Assembly and signed off by the Governor is only a formality that makes it law. The Bluff City BMA along with Attorney Frye has put this charter in draft with recommendations from the Tennessee Municipal League. I belive the new charter will be put in place automatically since it is so similar to city charters across the state.
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