Image Credit: Hamilton County Mayor’s Office / Facebook, Vote David Sharpe / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
A Hamilton County commissioner is expressing his frustration with Mayor Weston Wamp’s refusal to share county financial information with him.
On Wednesday, District 6 County Commissioner David Sharpe stated that the mayor “has declared in no uncertain terms that he will no longer provide crucial financial information to the people of the representative of District 6.”
According to Sharpe, Wamp made this “disturbing” statement during a legal meeting last week.
Sharpe accused Mayor Wamp of “deliberately withholding information from a duly elected official,” calling the move “petty and immature at best” and potentially a “willful violation of his oath of office.”
Sharpe added, “It’s a slap in the face of the people I represent, and I won’t abide by it.”
Sharpe also raised concerns about the broader implications of this conflict, stating, “It highlights the flaws in our current organizational chart and underscores the urgent need for a declaratory judgement on the 1941 private act and the 1978 changes.”
This was a reference to a longstanding legal framework concerning the county’s governance.
Commissioner Lee Helton voiced his reluctance to continue revisiting the issue, while Commissioner Joe Graham noted that the 1978 commission had chosen a new form of government, and no problems had been raised until recently, adding, “We’re doing the right thing.”
In response, County Mayor Wamp attempted to shift the blame on to Sharpe, saying, “Our office continues to focus on carrying out the important work of county government. Unfortunately, again this morning, David Sharpe used a commission meeting to air personal grievances. By his own admission last week, Sharpe often does not understand what he is voting on, which makes it difficult for him to advocate for his district. I am hopeful the chairman of the county commission will prevent similar partisan outbursts in the future.”
This dispute is the latest in a series of hostilities between Mayor Wamp and Commissioner Sharpe, who have engaged in multiple confrontations during commission meetings.
It appears that Wamp is taking cues from Tennessee government, at all levels, that is notorious for failing to provide transparency to state residents.
Tennessee ranked 45th out of all states for compliance with public records requests, showing a clear lack of regard for the rights of citizens to know what is going on within the state.
2 Responses
Anything “of God” is open and above board.
Good for County Commissioner David Sharpe!!!! Keep fighting against the bad guys.