Audit kept under wraps
Although officials have so far declined to release the report, members of the Chattanooga City Council were briefed last week on the city auditor’s investigation into claims Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod does not live in her district. Chattanooga City Auditor Stan Sewell has been looking into whether Coonrod lives in district — or even in the city limits — after he, City Attorney Phil Noblett and members of the City Council received an anonymous complaint March 4.
In response to a public records request by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the city said Sewell’s investigation was exempt from disclosure because it was protected under attorney-client privilege, citing a state statute. Noblett said the auditor’s report is not yet a public document.
“(Sewell) provided this to me in order that I might be able to ask the court for an eventual ruling,” Noblett said in a phone call. “It was given to me as an attorney-client privileged document from the auditor.”
Noblett said he also has to be mindful that the report may contain confidential information.
“If it’s somebody’s personal bank account information, I’m not going to give that to you,” he said.
In the report, which council members saw during a closed legal meeting, Sewell did not specifically conclude whether Coonrod lives in the city limits. The report is instead a summary of the facts. Noblett expects the matter will now go to Hamilton County Circuit Court, where information in Sewell’s report will be part of the public court record.
“There is a big dispute between what Councilwoman Coonrod has filed and what the records show here regarding what her residence is,” Noblett said. “We have to have some determination of that.”
Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, said a completed audit would be a public record under state statute.
“Any advice to the City Council by the city attorney about the results of that audit could be covered by the privilege protecting communications and advice given to the council by its attorney — the attorney-client privilege,” she
said in an email. “But I know of no exemption that makes a government’s audit confidential. In fact, audits of government, once completed, are generally very important public documents.”
Coonrod is a two-term member of the Chattanooga City Council who was first elected in 2017, ousting incumbent Yusuf Hakeem. This August, she is challenging Hakeem in the Democratic primary for his seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Coonrod’s campaign finance disclosures filed Feb. 6, 2023, and Oct. 4, 2023, list the “candidate’s home address” at a 1,100-square foot ranch house on Moss Street in the Eastdale area. However, property records show Coonrod owns a 2,200-square-foot splitlevel house on Heritage Drive, which she purchased Jan. 27, 2022, for $287,000. It is not in Chattanooga, but in the unincorporated Harrison area.
Loan documents for the home on Heritage Drive list Coonrod as the borrower and state the property must be the borrower’s principal residence for at least one year.
“Borrower shall occupy, establish and use the property as borrower’s principal residence within 60 days after the execution of this security instrument and shall continue to occupy the property as borrower’s principal residence for at least one year after the date of occupancy, unless lender determines that this requirement shall cause undue hardship for the borrower or unless extenuating circumstances exist which are beyond borrower’s control,” states a deed of trust dated Jan. 28, 2022.
Chattanooga City Council members are each elected to represent one of nine city districts.
“Removal of residence by a member of the council from that member’s district shall constitute a vacancy in that member’s council position,” the city charter states. “Any vacancy occurring on the council, including any vacancy in the office of chairperson of the council, shall be filled by a vote of a majority of all of the remaining members of the council.”
In an emailed statement, Coonrod said she is aware the city auditor is investigating allegations about her residency and other issues.
“It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the specifics of these investigations except to say that any allegation that I acted improperly is untrue,” she said. “Nonetheless, I have fully cooperated and will continue cooperating with the city on these investigations. I look forward to putting these issues behind me so that I may focus on the needs of District 9 and my campaign to represent the citizens of District 28 in the Tennessee House of Representatives.”
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.