Chattanooga council sets expedited timeline to fill District 6 vacancy

The Chattanooga City Council agreed on a compressed timetable to fill the District 6 council seat left vacant by the recent death of a member, directing staff to publish an application notice and scheduling interviews and a final vote later this month.

Council members instructed the council clerk to advertise the vacancy and accept resumes and letters of interest from January 8 through January 21 at noon, to be delivered to the council administrative office at 1000 Lindsey Street or emailed to council‑clerk@chattanooga.gov. The council asked the city attorney to prepare a resolution to declare the seat vacant for consideration on the Jan. 14 council agenda and scheduled interviews for applicants beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 28, with a vote on appointment to follow that evening after a recess and the selected member to be sworn in during the same meeting cycle.

Why it matters: Council members said the timing is intended to restore district representation quickly for constituents and to preserve a transparent, equitable appointment process that mirrors the approach used to fill a prior vacancy in 2022.

Qualifications, process and timeline - Qualifications: applicants must meet charter requirements — at least 21 years old and a resident of the district for at least one year — and the clerk will provide specific qualification information in the public notice.

- Submission and review: resumes may be hand‑delivered 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. to the administrative office or emailed to Nicole Gwynn, council clerk (council‑clerk@chattanooga.gov). The council indicated a single legal notice in the newspaper would suffice. The clerk will distribute submissions to council members after the Jan. 21 cutoff to allow one week for review.

- Interview and appointment procedure: on Jan. 28 the council will take nominations from the floor from among applicants, close nominations, conduct interviews at the start of the business meeting, recess and then reconvene to vote by roll call; a majority of the remaining council members is required to appoint the replacement. If no candidate achieves a majority on the first ballot, the council indicated it would proceed to subsequent rounds of voting as needed.

Council discussion and legal points Council members emphasized fairness and transparency. One council member said delays would be an "absolute injustice" to District 6 residents who need continued representation for scheduled meetings and constituent matters. The city attorney noted that the charter provides the process and requirements for filling vacancies and confirmed that "the seat is vacant at this point in time," and that the vacancy is to be filled by majority vote of the remaining council members (charter sections 8.11 and 8.2 were cited during the discussion).

Next steps and related appointments The council also reviewed several board appointment needs and asked staff to update membership lists and candidate status for boards including animal control, passenger vehicle for hire and the sports authority. For the District 6 vacancy the immediate next steps are the legal notice in the paper, accepting resumes through Jan. 21 and the Jan. 28 interviews and vote.

Ending Council leaders said the condensed schedule balances speed with an open, equitable process and that the clerk will publish application instructions and deadlines as directed.