Equal Justice???
| In a probably, not so surprising outcome, the Loudon
County Election Commission voted not to remove any of the
incumbent candidates from the ballot for the November Lenoir City
council election. In a 4-1 vote, same as last weeks vote, the commission
voted not to remove any of the other candidates. Voting to leave the 4
candidates on the ballot were, Jim Davis, Betty Brown, David Choate and
Darlene Schrubb. Sue Jane Hartsook abstained.
The nearly hour and a half long meeting started with Ms. Earlena Maples representing her position that the other candidates should be removed from the ballot due to their employment with LCUB, the same reason Maples was removed from the ballot by the election commission just last week. Maples made her case to the commission with testimony and documents she felt showed the other candidates were also LCUB employees and even called local activist, Pat Hunter, to testify to the events to date and to show her video of the city council meeting when the council voted to have her removed from the ballot. The candidates were represented by local attorney, Amanda Smith who presented the candidates positions why they didn't feel the candidates were LCUB employees. Hopefully, the candidates paid for their attorney and not the tax payers or the rate payers. When it was all said and done, the status quo won the night. Ms. Maples will not be on the ballot and Mike Henline, Buddy Hines, Jim Shields and Jennifer Wampler will be. So was equal justice handed out? It is curious how just one week ago, one LCUB employee couldn't run for council and now 4 LCUB employees can run for council. I guess it will be up to Lenoir City voters to decide if they want to continue status quo. |
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9/3/18