Holder resigns as South Pittsburg mayor


******Updated 6/20/2019 11:51 pm – Includes comments from City Administrator Gene Vess*********

******Updated 6/20/2019 2:20 pm – Includes. comments from Vice-Mayor Samantha Rector********

South Pittsburg, TN – In a somewhat surprising move today, Mayor Virgil Holder announced his resignation as Mayor of South Pittsburg, TN. Holder and City Administrator Gene Vess have maintained a thinly veiled tension between them. Holder and some members of the Board of Commissioners have also publicly appeared at odds on policy and budget issues. Those and other issues were highlighted in an open letter to “The Citizen’s of South Pittsburg” dated June 19, 2019 which included a final paragraph stating his resignation was effective immediately.

Whereas the letter makes references “City Administrator” several times, Holder refrains from naming the current City Manager by name. In his response, Vess said, “We wish him well. The business of the city doesn’t stop…we opened City Hall this morning and continued to do exactly what we did yesterday.” Vess did allude to to some of the comments brought up in the letter. “Every meeting that the board has, I send out the same email to four of the board members including Mr. Holder. Whether they attend is, obviously, not under anyone’s control but those members.” Vess confirmed that it is expected that Vice Mayor Samantha Rector will be sworn in as interim mayor at the July 9 meeting of the Board and that the board will appoint a commissioner to complete the term for district two until elections in 2020.

Vice-Mayor Samantha Rector, who has had spirited interaction with Holder on occasion in the meetings, echoed Vess’ sentiments about “business as usual.” Rector said, “We’re just looking forward to continuing working for the citizens of South Pittsburg. The City is bigger than any one person and we’re looking forward, not backwards.”

Highlights from the two-and-a-half page letter:

Having grown up in this city, I have come to love the city and I have sincere affection for the great people living here. When I was fortunate enough to be elected Mayor of South Pittsburg, I felt we could easily work together, make improvements for the benefit of the city, and make the needed changes that had previously mired our city in dispute, disagreement, name calling and even the restriction of First Amendment Rights to state in public things that were felt to be wrong with our city. Unfortunately, I have been taught over the past months, that improvements cannot be made with the presence of certain powers that exist within the city.

Since, City Hall (City Administrator) has control of the majority of this Board, on more than one occasion, as mayor I am limited to exactly how the City Charter reads. The City Charter sates that I am to act as a part time mayor only, cast my vote at City Meetings, chair the City Meetings, and sign City contracts once approved by the Board in an open meeting. This is in contradiction to how past city mayors have been able to perform their goal as city mayor.

As mayor, it has become obvious that the City employees work in fear of saying something or letting something slip to me concerning City business that the City Administrator does not want me to know. This attitude of the City Administrator towards the Mayor has been noted by visiting personnel from State agencies and by other city administrations. Our beloved city is now being directed by City Hall (City Administrator)  that is operating in the wrong direction for the entire City and making decisions to please a small group of people. These are just some examples that I am aware of:

As an elected official of the City of South Pittsburg, I have not been included on any discussions concerning policies or decisions of the City since November of 2017. This is why you have not seen me at City Hall as you did in the beginning. The majority of the time I now learn what the city is doing or has done long after the fact while on the streets or via social media. The direction and purpose for which our city is being moved is to please the select few. My hopes and prayers were that we could change the nature of our city government so that our city government worked on behalf of all our citizens and not the small special interest groups.

The process required by the State of Tennessee for bidding out services and purchases for our city has not been followed. This improper practice has been called out on several occasions in City meetings. In one instance, no bids at all were asked for nor was the permission for the purchases authorized by the City Board. There is no such thing as “Piggy Backing” another government agency’s bid!

The discussions at City Hall now include the increase of fees (garbage) or create new fees (storm water) in order to generate greater income for the city to use. Comment was and has been made in workshops, if the citizens want service, they will have to pay for them like in Chattanooga and East Ridge.  The citizens or our City now have the highest city property taxes in our county. Unfortunately, the city ignores the fact that an increase in fees is the same as an increase in taxes as it has the same results once it is implemented.

When the majority of the City’s Board of Commissioners (present and past) has no issues with the City Administrator’s actions, an over run of over $400,000 of the City’s 2018-19 budget, and diverting city monies, it is time. It has come to the point that I cannot sit and remain in office while government behaves in this manner. In weighing this decision I have been reminded of an Abraham Lincoln quote “If you’re right, it won’ mater what they say. If you’re wrong, it won’t matter what they say.” So in my opinion the best thing I can do is make what I believe to be the right decision. I can no longer be a part of this improper exercise of government. It is for this reason; I will be resigning my office as Mayor of the City of South Pittsburg, Tennessee effective immediately.

Virgil F. Holder

 

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