A group of East Ridge citizens is trying to force Mayor Mike Steele from office, a court filing shows.

Forty-four citizens from the south Hamilton County city have signed an ouster petition that alleges Mr. Steele has usurped his powers beyond those given to him in the city charter.

Among the allegations are that Mr. Steele set up an office, took a dedicated telephone line and began conducting the city’s day-to-day business, hiring employees and giving direct commands to city employees. The petition alleges those actions are beyond the powers give to the mayor in the city charter. It appears the petitioning began Aug. 23.

The first signatures on the petition are those of Charles J. Jordan, Vernon Liston and Jacqueline Fulks. Others include East Ridge Merchants Association leader Bill Brenemen and former Hamilton County Board of Education member Debbie Colburn.

“The citizens are mainly upset with everything that’s been going on in East Ridge over the last few years,” Mrs. Fulks said. “Mike Steele is running the show in East Ridge, and according to the city charger he should not be running the show.”

The suit makes allegations similar to those leveled by former East Ridge City Attorney Cris Helton in a similar ouster effort filed in June 2007. A month later the council voted to remove Mr. Helton as city attorney.

Mr. Steele, who said he hadn’t reviewed the entire complaint as he was in Atlanta on Thursday, said it sounds similar to the one filed in 2007, which eventually was dropped after an investigation revealed no basis for it, he said.

“Maybe I’m just different than what they are used to in a mayor,” Mr. Steele said. “I’m just a get-it-done type of mayor. Most people I talk to say, ‘Hey, go get it done, Mike.’”

For complete details, see tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.

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