Coffee County commissioners appoint Todd Malone to fill District 9 vacancy amid objections about timing

The Coffee County Board of County Commissioners accepted a letter of resignation from District 9 Commissioner Lynn Seaborn and, during the June 24 meeting in Tullahoma, appointed Todd Malone to fill the seat.

The appointment matters because it fills a legislative vacancy that, under state law, remains until a successor is elected at the next general election. The selection method and the speed of the appointment drew objections from several commissioners who said they lacked time to review candidates’ materials.

Commissioners voted 16–0 to accept Seaborn’s resignation, read aloud by the chair. Following that action, the floor was opened for nominations to fill the District 9 vacancy. Commissioner Smith nominated Todd Malone. After multiple commissioners raised procedural objections about the short notice provided to commissioners and the public, Commissioner Stubblefield moved to close nominations. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hirschman and carried; the chair then announced the vacancy filled by unanimous consent and asked County Clerk Theresa McFadden to administer the oath.

Todd Malone spoke briefly from the lectern before the vote. He identified himself as a retired law enforcement officer with nearly 40 years in the field and said he currently holds employment with the Department of Defense and expects that employment to end in September. “Is it good for the citizens of Coffee County?” Malone said, describing his decision-making philosophy. “I need to see data and evidence of supporting decisions that we make.”

Several commissioners objected to proceeding without more time. Commissioner Tim Brown said commissioners had “less than five minutes” with Malone’s packet and asked to postpone consideration, calling the process “not fair.” The county attorney and the parliamentary adviser advised that the meeting had followed the public-notice procedure required by state law and that a motion to remove or postpone the item would have been required but was not made.

The chair read the applicable statutory language and said the county’s public notice—published in the Tullahoma News—was compliant with Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5 (TCA 5-5-101), which sets notice and residency requirements for filling county office vacancies. The chair summarized those requirements on the record: nominees must be qualified voters of the Ninth District, reside within the district, and have been Coffee County residents for at least one year prior to the commission’s vote.

After the oath, Malone was seated as the District 9 commissioner. County Clerk Theresa McFadden administered the oath of office at the meeting.

The record shows the following formal actions: acceptance of Seaborn’s resignation (16 yes) and appointment of Todd Malone by unanimous consent; no roll-call vote was recorded on the appointment. Commissioners who publicly objected to the timing asked that future appointments allow more time for review.

No other formal directions or referrals were recorded on the appointment beyond completing the swearing-in process.

Copies of the public notice and the language read at the meeting were placed into the record by the chair.