Citizens call for recall following Amacher antics | Local News – Tullahoma News and Guardian

Several people, including a prominent faith leader, are calling for the resignation of the citys recently-elected alderman.

At the latest meeting of the Tullahoma Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Mt. Zion Baptist Church Pastor Elmore Torbert Jr. firmly called for either the resignation or removal of the freshman alderman after recent social media posts caused controversy.

Torbert delivered a prepared statement, which he also sent to City Administrator Jennifer Moody to be added to the official record of the meeting, calling Amachers social media actions a blight on Tullahoma.

Torbert said he has been leading his church for more than 13 years and has experienced the best of Tullahoma, such as his churchs partnership with a local couple to provide free hams and turkeys to families in need prior to Christmas.

However, he said, Tullahoma has a blight that boards on windows cant contain.

The blight is to have a person sitting on our board of aldermen for this fine city engrossed in racist rhetoric and humiliating racist actions, Torbert said. I dont know about you but I believe Tullahoma does not have time for a city representative or alderperson to be a social media star or comedienne. In fact, thats the last thing that we need in this critical stage of life.

Torbert then called for Amacher to resign or be removed from the city board.

So it is of no consequence and with no negotiation that we demand, request and require that Ms. Jenna Amacher resign and/or be removed from the board of city aldermen, because, clearly, when they were giving American history lessons, she showed up for the years 1861 through 1865 but skipped the classes when they instructor covered 1620 through 1908, which was the last recorded government-sanctioned slave auction or action on indigenous African people.

Clearly, she missed the second semester of Jim Crow laws and the plight of systemic racism and the word the N word that were used to control a population. Clearly, she missed the pains of being a Black woman, so she can readily identify as one and think it is cute. No, it is not cute; its blatant racism, and it should not and will not be tolerated for someone who has been elected to represent all people.

Torbert referenced other social media posts from Amacher that have circulated around social media, including a video of her allegedly using a racial epithet against Black people, a Facebook comment where she also used the epithet and another Facebook comment where she stated she identified as being a Black woman.

We dont think its social and culturally acceptable to decry falsely a narrative, lynching some people with her actions, words and philosophical musings, he said. To see her use the N word with no reflex of remorse or an oops, and being a person with a jurisprudence background, it should have alerted her that her conversations would be captured and supervised. Yet, however, her reckless, cavalier attitude proves that she is not fit to represent all Tullahomans.

Torbert then called for Amacher to acknowledge her error by stepping down and resigning within the next 30 days or citizens would be ready to step in and take matters into their own hands by putting pressure and moving forward to seeing a resignation or a resolve of this matter.

We are mobilized and ready to see that she is no longer representing the beauty and the best of Tullahoma by spreading what is historically the worst of America. And, oh yes, I approve this message, he said in closing.

Another citizen, Marie Desilets, also called for Amacher to resign during the meeting, calling her online conduct unethical, unprofessional and uncivil.

She asked whether or not there had ever been this much of a stink for a Tullahoma aldermen. Desilets also said the community was embarrassed by Amachers online presence.

Tullahomas embarrassed by her unethical behavior, she said. Not only has she been biased to anyone besides her fellow Republicans, but [she] has also blocked more than half of her fellow constituents from her social media, which is, by law, illegal. Shes not supposed to censor the public.

Jenna blatantly spews racist and unethical comments, such as, Liberalism is a mental disorder, daily on her social media. Mental illness is not a term that should be used to create parallels of fuel for your arguments. Its a serious topic, and statements like those only worsen the stigma that surrounds it.

Desilets said it concerns her to have a representative who shows such lack of empathy towards mental health, people of color and individuals who practice different religions and/or political practices than herself.

It concerns me that someone who holds such a high political position in my community constantly posts unprofessional, uncivil posts on her social media, she added. She does not represent me or the greater good of Tullahoma, and I am asking that she either resign or be removed from her position.

In addition to these comments made during the meeting, a Facebook event scheduled for Dec. 22 and a Facebook group both revolved around Amachers removal from office.

According to Desilets, she created the Facebook event about a month ago in the hopes that she wasnt the only citizen who felt embarrassed at Amachers social media actions.

I knew that if I felt this way there had to be more people as well, so I started reaching out, she said.

Since she created the event, Desilets said she has received hundreds of comments from friends, family members and strangers expressing similar embarrassment at Amacher.

It just goes to show that there is a problem here, she said. There are thousands of people right now in Tullahoma that feel the same way that I do. Jenna needs to be removed as Alderman because she does not take her job seriously. Shes not qualified and incompetent. Shes using this as a spotlight just to feed her own ego.

Desilets added she feels Amacher should have thought about being judged as a political figure before running for her seat.

She doesnt feel as though her constituents should have their own opinions and should not be judging her for her political correctness, hence the reason why she blocks everybody from her Facebook, which is a censorship that is not supposed to be used by government officials on their social media.

Desilets clarified that she was not calling Amacher racist, as she does not personally know the alderman.

I am not attacking her because her values and beliefs are different from mine, she said. Its okay to have different political views than others, and it is okay to agree to disagree. We are all different. Im sure my culture, values, morals and beliefs are probably different from yours, and that is okay.

If Amacher will not step down, as she has repeatedly said she will not, Desilets, Torbert and more are preparing to look into the power of recall to have her removed from office.

According to the Tullahoma city charter, the people of the city may recall any elected local official and may exercise this power by filing a petition for recall.

Per state law, at least one registered voter in the city or county where the recall is sought is required to file the proper form of petition and the text of the question posed in the petition with the county election commission. The election commission then has 30 days to certify that petition. During this time, the petitioner(s) have 15 days to correct any errors in documentation. The election commission then has five days from receipt of revisions to determine whether or not the revised documentation will be certified.

If the petition is certified by the county election commission and the candidate whose removal is sought resigns within 10 days after the certification and notice to the city board, no recall election will be held.

According to state law, at least one specific reason for removal must be listed on the petition. The Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) 6-53-108 states any petition required to be filed under a municipal charter in order to cause a recall election shall contain one or more specific grounds for removal.

State law also dictates that at least 15% of the registered voters in the municipality or county sign the petition for recall. As of Dec. 23, there were 11,839 registered voters in the city of Tullahoma. In order to reach the 15% threshold of the Tullahoma electorate, at least 1,776 Tullahomans would need to sign the petition.

A recall petition would need to be filed with the election commission with at least the 15% of registered voters signatures within 75 days from its original certification, per state law. The election commission would then have another 30 days to determine if the petition meets all state requirements for recall petitions.

Those requirements include:

The petition must be filed at least 60 days prior to a general municipal or county election, per state law.

According to the city charter, should a recall election happen for the removal of an elected official, the question must read: Shall [name of elected official] be removed from office?

The two options for that question, then are listed as either Fore the recall of [name of elected official] or Against the recall of [name of elected official].

Should the majority of the votes cast in the recall election be against the removal of the official, that person shall continue in office. If the majority of votes cast are for the removal of the elected official, the city board is required to announce that seat as vacant at its next regularly scheduled board meeting and fill the vacancy in accordance with the charter provisions.

An elected official thus removed is not eligible to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term, the charter states.

There are limits on recall elections, however, According to the city charter, recall petitions cannot be filed within six months of an elected official taking office. Additionally, no elected official can be subject to more than one recall election during a term of office.

As it relates to Amacher, she is covered by the six-month restriction, as she only took office in August. Those looking to remove her from office via recall will have to wait until at least Feb. 6, which will be six months from when Amacher took office.

Per the city charter, should the recall effort fail, Amacher would not be subject to another recall effort during her first term, which will expire in August of 2023.

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Citizens call for recall following Amacher antics | Local News - Tullahoma News and Guardian