HAMILTON COMMISSION CONTACTSHamilton County Commission office: 423-209-7200District 1Randy FairbanksP.O. Box 793Soddy-Daisy, Tenn. 37384423-834-3702District 2Jim Fields4058 Day Lily TrailChattanooga, Tenn. 37415423-886-5760District 3Marty HaynesP.O. Box 398Hixson, Tenn. 37343423-802-1333District 4Warren Mackey4801 Murray Hills DriveChattanooga, Tenn. 37416423-892-8410District 5Greg Beck6224 Laramie CircleChattanooga, Tenn. 37421423-698-4104District 6Joe Graham104 Fern Ave.Chattanooga, Tenn. 37419423-255-6601District 7Sabrena SmedleyP.O. Box 28205Chattanooga, Tenn. 37424423-309-5250District 8Tim Boyd1106 S. Seminole DriveEast Ridge, Tenn. 37412423-987-8072District 9Chester BankstonP.O. Box 218Harrison, Tenn. 37341423-667-7280
The Hamilton County Commission had every right to do what it did, and the way a majority of its members voted in all likelihood matches that of their constituents, but a vote Wednesday night on a resolution offering "agreement and support" for the adoption of a constitutional amendment involving abortion was unnecessary and out of place.
Commissioners are free individually -- and some might say compelled -- to make their feelings known about the important issues of the day. And Amendment 1, which in essence says the right to an abortion in Tennessee should be no broader than that in the U.S. Constitution, certainly divides many voters in the Volunteer State. So it's understandable that constituents would want to know where their commissioners stand.
However, resolutions are typically put forward to transact county business -- appoint board members, purchase patrol cars, approve contracts and budgets -- and not take the political temperature of the day. The fact there was a vote only on Amendment 1, not on any of the other three amendments, marks the vote itself as political. Now it almost seems incumbent for commissioners to hold votes on the other ballot questions -- just to seem fair.
Indeed, Chairman Jim Fields' comments to Times Free Press reporter Louie Brogdon after the meeting indicate not enough thought went into the whole process about the vote.
The resolution, Fields said, was put on the agenda at the request of a constituent. Then, in committee, it received no recommendation, so the chairman said he "was going to move to pull it."
However, Commissioner Randy Fairbanks moved to pass it, Commissioner Marty Haynes seconded it and the vote was on.
Commissioners Greg Beck and Warren Mackey voted against the resolution, as a majority of their constituents likely would have wanted, but said it was not the commission's place to take sides on a statewide ballot issue. Commissioner Chester Bankston echoed the sentiment but voted for the resolution because "I'm pro-life."
Likewise, Commissioners Joe Graham and Tim Boyd didn't believe the matter should be in front of the body. They abstained.
But with Fairbanks, Haynes, Fields, Bankston and Sabrena Smedley voting for it, the resolution was approved.
If either Bankston or Haynes, who later said "I don't think how we vote ... will change one vote in Hamilton County or change one person's mind," would have abstained, the vote would have died for lack of a majority.
Graham said Thursday, despite 300 or more calls and emails, he chose to pass -- essentially abstaining -- because the issue had "no business" before the board.
He said the legislature worked hard to get the amendment on the ballot, and anytime an issue can be before the people and allow them to have their voices heard, that is what should happen.
Graham said he returned all the calls and emails to his District 6 constituents and told them he would pass when the issue came up.
"If my vote could make a difference, I'd be right in there," he said, "but this was just wasting our time."
Such a vote leaves the panel open to taking stands on other issues that have little or nothing to do with county business such as the "agreement and support" of gay marriage, President Obama's handling of foreign policy, the re-election of Gov. Bill Haslam, federal policies on illegal immigration or favorite doughnut toppings.
Though the resolution was certainly legitimate and within the bounds of free speech, and this page favors passage of the amendment in next month's election, its appearance on the meeting agenda is mindful of the attempted recall election of Chattanooga Councilman Chris Anderson earlier this year over his support of spousal benefits for unmarried couples.
We at the time felt people of conscience could oppose Anderson -- in office less than a year -- on the issue but shouldn't have cost the Hamilton County Election Commission time and money in counting and verifying signatures in the recall effort because they opposed him on one issue.
To date, 19 other counties of the state's 95 have passed resolutions similar to Hamilton County's endorsement of Amendment 1, but that doesn't make it right.
The commissioners, instead, should have spoken to their constituents in a town-hall format, addressed a civic club, had a conversation with their on-the-fence neighbor or written a letter to the editor (as Haynes did), but not used a legislative body to determine support on, as Haynes said, "a matter that is private to a lot of people."