Mt. Juliet Mayor and freshman state Rep. Linda Elam has sued the city in a bid to hang onto her mayoral post, even though the people of Mt. Juliet in November voted overwhelmingly to ban city officeholders from holding other offices.
With the outcome decided by an almost 7-to-1 margin, the message seemed clear enough. Apparently not.
In her Jan. 11 court filing, which Radio Free Mt. Juliet has posted, Elam says that she will continue to serve as mayor as late as March 31 because “there are several City issues, particularly fire safety, that she should work to solve for her constituents.” Elam, a Republican, won election to the state House in November, beating Democrat Allen Barry and two independents in the District 57 contest. She replaced Susan Lynn, who lvacated the seat in a failed bid for the state Senate.
Elam’s legal fight has drawn sharp criticism from Mt. Juliet Commissioner Ed Hagerty, who told WSMV Channel 4 that “the proper thing to do would be to take the high road and resign” since holding both jobs creates a conflict of interest and violates city law.
Read more:
New Ethics Committee member knows a thing or two about ethics (Nashville Post)
Mount Juliet Mayor Sues To Keep City Position (WSMV Channel 4)
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