Mayor Kelly’s East Ridge Land Sale Potentially A Conflict Of Interest
Photo Credit: Mayor Tim Kelly / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
An independent enquiry into the sale of an East Ridge property by Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly will be conducted by Chattanooga’s Office of Internal Audit with an eye on any possible conflicts of interest.
Kelly’s office claims that he ordered the audit himself following concerns that were raised when the City of Chattanooga removed a homeless encampment from his property on Workman Road – a property that he was attempting to sell earlier this year.
In a email statement to NewsChannel 9, the City’s Director of Communications, Mary Beth Ikard said, “For several weeks, the City has been responsive to multiple requests for information regarding the property and all records continue to show that all City actions were regular and appropriate. The request regarding the homeless camp was made through the Office of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, the same office any other business owner has the right to contact to request similar City action. At no time did the business contact the Mayor’s Office directly regarding this issue. The City has and will continue to be responsive to any requests for information regarding the property.”
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Ikard maintains that Mayor Kelly has sold or temporarily retired from his business interests for the time being as he serves as Chattanooga Mayor, and states that Kelly is organizing his remaining interests into a blind trust, of which the legal process is still ongoing, News Channel 9 reports.
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 Directory 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
