Former judge may fight Chattanooga blight

Chattanooga is on the cusp of bringing in a former city judge, Walter Williams, 64, as a key player in its strategy to combat blight.

Mayor Andy Berke’s administration has proposed Williams, who pioneered Chattanooga’s environmental court to clean up neighborhoods back in the 1990s, to serve as an administrative hearing officer. The city council is expected to vote on Williams’ appointment by late May or early June after his appointment was removed from the body’s Tuesday agenda.

Maura Sullivan, the city’s chief operating officer, said the mayor’s office actually wants to double up on the hearing officer plan.

“We want to bring in a second administrative hearing officer and thought we would just bring both [nominees] before the council at the same time,” Sullivan said. “We expect that should probably happen in the next three or

four weeks.”

The council approved the creation and funding of the administrative hearing officer position in September. The officer has power to hit property owners with $500-per-day fines over upkeep violations, such as damaged roofs and porches. That’s a big jump over the $50 daily fines some repeat violators face now.

City officials have identified Chattanooga’s core as the focus of its blight strategy, including Districts 7, 8 and 9.

The proposal anticipates collected fines will pay for the $60,000 needed to fund the position, including $50,000 for the officer’s fees and another $9,600 for court reporter and bailiff support.

“The administrative hearing officer is not about homeowners in low-income neighborhoods,” said then-councilman Chris Anderson last summer, who sponsored the original ordinance. “It’s about slumlords who take advantage of the poorest people in our city.”

To bring a second officer on board, the council will need to approve an ordinance creating the second position, Sullivan said.

According to Times Free Press archives, Williams retired from city court in 2003 to “make some money,” returning to private law practice. As a judge, he earned $111,060 annually.

During his 12 years as a city judge, Williams earned a reputation for handing down unusual sentences — he paddled one teenage defendant with the consent of the child’s mother — and helping others to get high school diplomas and find jobs. He even ordered inmates into solitary confinement for making too much racket.

He’s faced dozens of judicial misconduct charges.

“Change is controversial,” Williams said at the time of his retirement. “Some folks don’t like me because of my color. Some people don’t like me because I am forceful. I am bold enough to speak what is on my mind.”

Council Chairman Jerry Mitchell praised Williams’ work.

“He’s served the city tremendously over the years,” Mitchell said.