Lawmakers will work with local government to uphold ethics statute
Nashville, TN – State Senator Tim Barnes and fellow members of the Montgomery County Delegation received an opinion from Attorney General Robert Cooper on Tuesday regarding former Clarksville mayor Johnny Piper’s hiring as superintendent of CDE Lightband.
“The opinion doesn’t resolve all the issues raised with this hiring, but it does represent a completion of a step in the process,” Barnes said.
The opinion states that a 1935 state law creating municipal power boards supersedes a Clarksville city law prohibiting elected officials from interviewing for a local department head position for one year after leaving office. Piper accepted the $140,000 superintendent job while still mayor of the city, and took the position shortly after his mayoral term ended.
Last week, the Clarksville City Council denounced Piper’s hiring and called for the resignation of the Clarksville Power Board in separate votes. All members of the Power Board are Piper appointees.
Barnes, State Representatives Joe Pitts, Curtis Johnson and Phillip Johnson requested the AG opinion on behalf of current Clarksville mayor Kim McMillan. Delegation members said they would continue to work with city officials and would sponsor legislation to empower local governments in similar circumstances.
“We want to ensure that our towns, cities and counties are able to hold all of their departments to a high standard,” Pitts said. “Power boards should be held accountable for their actions, just like any other department.”
Complete Attorney General Opinion on Piper hiring document.
About State Representative Joe Pitts
Joe Pitts serves in the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing Cheatham, Houston and Montgomery Counties, including the city of Clarksville. A native of Clarksville Tennessee, Joe is a Northwest High School graduate (Class of 1976) and a 1980 graduate of Austin Peay State University.
He is married to Cynthia, an author and director of a women’s ministry, and they have five children.
Contact him at sen.tim.barnes@capitol.tn.gov or 615-741-2374 or 305 War Memorial Building, Nashville, TN 37243-0217.
