Jim DeLanis, the chairman of the Davidson County Election Commission and a former attorney at Baker Donelson law firm, is no longer with the firm after voting to support the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act.
In a commission meeting, DeLanis voted to appeal a ruling from a Nashville judge that canceled a special referendum that was to be held with the goal of reducing the city’s substantial tax hike.
The measure to appeal passed on a 3-2 vote by commissioners and seeks to reschedule the special election for September.
Immediately after the news of the split broke, DeLanis, who worked at the firm for almost 40 years, was scrubbed from the organization’s website.
The vote cast by DeLanis came after Chancellor Russell T. Perkins struck down the provisions of a referendum on the city’s taxes that was scheduled for July 27.
The referendum would have rescinded Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s controversial 34 to 37 percent tax increase, which Cooper argued was to stabilize the city’s finances. If enacted by voters, the measure would have dramatically altered the budget of the city — immediately slashing $40 million.
Metro Nashville has been in a continued legal battle against attorney Jim Roberts and his organization, 4 Good Government. The group has sought ways to reduce the heavy tax burden supported by Cooper.
Even before Perkins ruled against the referendum, Roberts had collected over 27,000 signatures from residents in an attempt to host a special election. However, the first time, a different judge — Ellen Hobbs Lyle — invalidated the petition based on her concerns over the legality of the move.
“It seems like at every turn of this process, the default is to go with what Metro says and suppress voters’ rights. We are going to keep coming back,” Roberts said while pledging to continue the fight after the second setback.
— — —
Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]
Jim Please seek a judgeship/chancellor position next year. You proven your ability to stand up to metro council bullies Burkley Allen and Bob Mendez and mayor Chicken Coop!
Thank you for standing up for the working people and letting us have a vote to repeal the 34% property tax increase!!
Please file a criminal and civil complaint against your former employer for attempting to interfere with a official exercising their political independence!
Governor Lee, Speaker Sexton, Lt Governor McNalley are you watching the politics’ hardball the democrats are playing?
Standing up to the mob can be costly. He is a patriot.
Nashville has turned into a Marxist foothold in TN. TN must stand up, stop it now, dead in its tracks before it spins out of control and spreads to other parts of this great state.
Politics is such a dirty game.