Despite vote, Chattanooga City Council staff restructuring issue not over

photo Developing Story

Come Monday, two Chattanooga City Council staff members will be out of work. But that may not be the last council members hear from them.

City Clerk Sandra Freeman, who was ousted from her post after the council voted to restructure its four-person staff and hire Deputy Clerk Nicole Gwyn in her place, said she is disappointed with the decision and was "exploring all options."

The revised positions include a clerk, a legislative and management analyst, a council support specialist and an administrative support specialist. Freeman and management analyst Randy Burns no longer qualified for the revised positions and were not rehired.

Freeman was hired 18 months ago and was three years away from being vested in the city's retirement plan, so the layoff cost her. She said she believes the entire restructuring was politically motivated.

"I am disappointed that I am not being allowed to finish my career with the city due to a restructuring process that I believe was manipulated by underlying political and personal motives on the parts of some. I will be pursuing all options available to me in the months to come," Freeman said in a written statement Wednesday.

Burns declined to comment on the restructuring or his next move.

The decision came after months of heated debate -- which at times resorted to name-calling -- among council members.

And the debate was punctuated Tuesday when Councilman Moses Freeman -- who is not related to Sandra Freeman -- took an opportunity to criticize members who voted for the plan. Much of the speech was directed at Henderson.

"I think this thing is going to come back to haunt us in days in the future. One way or another we are going to be bitten by the decision we have made," Moses Freeman said. "This illegal, immoral process that you have engaged in, it's hateful. You should be ashamed of yourself, and I'm ashamed of you."

On Wednesday, Henderson said Moses Freeman has a right to his opinions.

"We went through a process that this council approved, and I think it speaks for itself. He has a right to feel the way he does, and I just did what I thought was best for the council and what we had decided," Henderson said.

Contact staff writer Louie Brogdon at lbrogdon@timesfreepress.com, @glbrogdoniv on Twitter or at 423-757-6481.

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