Several Chattanooga City Council members questioned today the need for a public hearing on contracts with Excalibur Integrated Systems after they said agreements were about minor issues.
“I wonder why we’re even meeting today,” Councilman Jack Benson said, midway through the meeting.
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Council member Carol Berz attends a meeting of the Chattanooga City Council in this file photo.Photo by John Rawlston /Chattanooga Times Free Press.
At one point, Councilwoman Carol Berz labeled it “kangaroo court.”
The inquiry occurred in a special meeting of the Personnel and Audit Review Committee. Councilwoman Deborah Scott, chairwoman of the committee, called the meeting after questions were raised about contracts with Excalibur Integrated Systems from three years ago.
City Auditor Stan Sewell conducted an informal review of the contracts and issued a memorandum last week. He looked at six different items and found an $800,000 contract had not been bid correctly.
The council decided Tuesday it would not follow up on the issue.
For more information, read tomorrow’s edition of the Times Free Press.
Cliff has worked for the Times Free Press for five years and covers Chattanooga city government. He previously covered Rhea County, as well as transportation and growth and development in Southeast Tennessee. A native of Maryville, Tenn., Cliff graduated in 2003 from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a crime reporter with Hernando Today, a supplement of The Tampa (Fla.) ...
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