Carter County attorney finds “No cause” to fire Mayor Woodby after petition

Carter County’s county attorney said Tuesday night he has investigated claims in a petition to remove Mayor Patty Woodby from office and found no cause to do so. Attorney Josh Hardin did not explain his decision. He said he has mailed an investigative report to the man who presented the petition but said he wouldn’t release it to the public. The announcement came at the end of a contentious commission meeting that started with a failed effort from commissioner Leslie Hughes to limit public comments to items on the agenda. That sparked a question from a resident asking Hughes if she understood “what public comments are”. Another comment noted that if commissioners answered phone calls or emails there may be less public comments during meetings. Commissioners eventually approved more than two dozen items related to Helene recovery spending. Those items ranged from debris cleanup to road and bridge repair.