Johnson City leaders blast petition aimed at city manager

Johnson City Mayor John Hunter lashed out Friday at calls of a petition by community members for a vote of no confidence on City Manager Cathy Ball."In regard to the petition calling for a vote of no confidence or the removal of City Manager Cathy Ball, I want to be very clear: the petition does not provide any valid basis for such action," Hunter said in an emailed statement to the Johnson City Press.The response comes as an online petition on Change.org calling for a vote of no confidence for Ball had gathered almost 1,500 signatures as of Friday. The petition was started by Ashton Smyth, founder and CEO of The Laboratory Smoke Shop, located in downtown Johnson City.On the shop's Facebook page on Aug. 9, it asked people to sign the petition and called for a "vote of no confidence" on Ball."City leadership is pushing forward with decisions that could cripple downtown nightlife and local businesses — without listening to the people, the sheriff, or those most affected," the post stated.The city passed a controversial ordinance on Thursday, moving back on-premise alcohol sales throughout the city from 3 a.m. to 1 a.m. This comes as the city has experienced several shootings within the downtown area. City leaders say moving the time back will help stem the violence.Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton has also ordered patrols from county deputies on downtown streets during weekend hours.Some of the demands of the petition include:A vote of no confidence for BallA six to 12-month joint safety initiative led by Sexton and city police with complete transparency and measurable goalsA Downtown Public Safety Advisory Group made up of law enforcement, business owners, and residents to review progress and provide input before any policy changes are made"The sheriff is ready," the petition states. "The businesses are ready. The people are ready. The only question is: Why isn't our city leadership?"'Discombobulated grievances'Commissioner Joe Wise said Friday he found it troubling people were wanting to see Ball terminated and said the petition had inaccuracies."It looks like just a random list of discombobulated grievances that have nothing to do with the city manager.," he said.He said Cathy Ball had been instrumental in actions the city has taken including commissioning the Dagle report and leading the charge for the city to implement new sexual assault protocols, while developing new relationships."I think people are misplacing who's responsible for the solutions and who inherited the problem," he said.He said she has carried out the city's mission at the behest of the board and many people are "confusing emotions from facts.""I think they are addressing that concern at the one person who deserves more credit than anyone in the mix," he said.Disagreement, not neglectHunter said the petition is "at best, inaccurate and reflect a misunderstanding of how city government functions."He said Ball carries out her responsibilities under the direction of the Johnson City Commission and her performance reviews show outstanding performance to the city."Ms. Ball has consistently gone above and beyond in her service to Johnson City," he said.Hunter said that since she took over as manager she has taken on multiple challenges, many not created by her.He also praised her strong leadership and stated that under her tenure the city has expanded opportunities for citizen input, strong partnerships with public and private partnerships and helped guide the city to national attention."As I mentioned at our most recent Commission meeting, there are times when citizens feel as though they are not being heard," Hunter said. "The reality is that while everyone's voice is heard, there will naturally be disagreements about decisions. Disagreement, however, is not the same as neglect or disregard."Cathy Ball has served this city with dedication, skill, and integrity. Johnson City is stronger today because of her leadership."