Meeting on Possible Re-Vote on Election Administrator Job set for Monday

In a story we first reported on October 9, the Coffee County Election Commission (Chairman Sandra Soesbe, Secretary Frances Powers and members Bill Bates, Emily Thoma along with Barbara Arp) voted in an apparent secret ballot to give the position to current Coffee County Government Purchasing Agent Andy Farrar the job of Election Administrator. Current administrator Vernita Davis is set to retire at the end of the year.
According to a letter obtained by WMSR News, the Coffee County Election Commission was informed the letter dated October 19, 2018 from Justin P Wilson, State Comptroller, the Tennessee Open Meetings Act provides that all votes of any governing body shall be by public vote or public ballot or public roll call. No secret votes, or secret ballots, or secret roll calls shall be allowed. Accordingly, any voting by ballot conducted by the election commission must be by public ballot whereby the ballot results are open to public inspection.
Now in a press release from the Coffee County Election Commission, they will meet on Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at 4:00 PM in the Election Commission office in the Administrative Plaza at 1329 McArthur Street, Suite 6 in Manchester. The purpose of the meeting will be to appoint a new Administrator of Elections. Apparently, this will be done to re-vote for the Administrator position in a public meeting.