Image Credit: LinkedIn, Hamilton County Mayor’s Office / Facebook, HamiltonCountyTN / YouTube
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
In a closed-door meeting on Wednesday with a private attorney, Hamilton County Commissioners decided that new county Mayor Weston Wamp acted unilaterally in his firing of County Attorney Rheubin Taylor.
The Commission decided to hire an outside attorney, John Konvalinka, to represent them.
According to the commissioners, the county attorney works for both the mayor and the County Commission, so they argued that they should have been a part of the decision made by the mayor.
Commissioner Jeff Eversole said, “It’s a 50/50 split between the county mayor and commission. We learn about this through a news release and an email. That’s not transparency.”
Chairman Chip Baker agreed, “The lack of transparency in taking this action is troubling…I have always appreciated the partnership we have had with the mayor. Partnership is the key word.”
Commissioners passed a resolution that would reinstate Taylor to his position, which was a four-year contract that was established on June 16, 2021. They also created a civil service system for county employees and restricted the firing of any county employees until after that system is put into place.
Commissioner Steve Highlander said, “We made an agreement with the county mayor. I think we need to honor that agreement.”
They also passed a resolution that prevents any county official from gaining access to any files or documents or anything from the County Attorney’s office without written consent from the attorney, his designee, or the County Commission. This was done in an attempt to “protect the integrity of the county attorney office.”
Despite the mayor saying he was firing Taylor, the attorney still reported for work this week. Chairman Baker acknowledged that he requested that Taylor continue to work while the commission made an effort to have his job reinstated.
Mayor Wamp argued the legality of a contract that extended into a new administration. He stated that state law gives the mayor the right to select the county attorney and that the commission does not have the authority to intervene.
Wamp also said at an afternoon press conference that Taylor is still off of the county payroll and his email has been blocked. He stated that the county IT office has all of the contents of the county attorney’s computer.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
