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June 23, 2008
First hat thrown into mayoral ring; technical foul?
Former Outdoor Chattanooga director Rob Healy is "enthusiastic" about running for Mayor of Chattanooga in the March 2009 municipal elections, but there's just one problem: he has to get past Jerry Summers first.
Summers, in his role as official counsel to the Hamilton County Election Commission, is reportedly in conversations with Mr. Healy regarding the possibility that the latter's move date of February 2008 into the city limits does not meet the qualification of living within the city for one year prior to being elected to office.
But, but..February 2008 is more than one year prior to March 2009, you protest. Yes, but is it one year prior to the ballot qualifying deadline? No, it is not. (And when is that deadline? November? I'm thinking that it's usually about 120 days before the election, but the calendar doesn't yet show a date.) We'll have to wait and see if the officials okay Healy's as a valid entry. Depending on how close they are to Mayor Littlefield, they could strategically block it. Let's hope that the decision, whichever way it turns out, is made impartially.
Rob Healy, you'll recall, was removed from his role as Parks and Recreation director by Mayor Littlefield. According to Healy (link broken to Pulse archives), this action came after Healy approached the mayor with allegations of corruption in that department. (Interestingly, one of its recreation directors was recently arrested in the cocaine/laundering sting that also took out City Councilman John "Duke" Franklin, Jr.)
There will be much more to come.
| By joe lance | 4:36 PM
Comments
I like Rob Healy. He's been a successful business man, and has done a lot for the city. There's not enough public information for me to pass judgement on his firing a few years back, but because of that debacle I think it will be an uphill battle for him. On the bright side for Rob, Mayor Littlefield hasn't done much of anything since he's been in office - except take away our weekly curbside recycling!
Posted by: Kevin at June 24, 2008 11:00 AM