LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- The LaFollette City Council held a special meeting on Monday afternoon, approving a resolution to remove LaFollette Utility Board members, as well as a resolution recognizing two LUB members for their service on the utility board. New LUB board members were also appointed to the board at Monday’s meeting.
According to LaFollette City Administrator Stan Foust, LaFollette Utility Board member Jay Willoughby’s term expires in two weeks and the city “considered him retiring off the board”. LaFollette Utility Board member Janice Walker retired last week, and LUB member Joe Snodderly was removed under the resolution 2026-07-A, which was passed by the council unanimously on Monday.
The city council also voted on and approved the appointment of three new utility board members to fill the vacancies. Michael Malicote will fill the vacancy by Willoughby’s term expiring, meaning Malicote will fill a five-year term. Mike Melton will fill Janice Walker’s spot, filling the one year left on her term. Brian Younce will fill Joe Snodderly’s spot and finish out his remaining 2.5 years on the utility board.
Monday’s meeting started with city attorney Karen Crutchfield reading the lengthy resolution, which states that pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated 7-52-112 and the city’s charter, the city has the ability to remove LUB members and to appoint new members. Reasons cited for doing so included that “the LaFollette Utilities Board has failed to provide the appropriate oversight and fiduciary duties of a Supervisory Board of a Municipal Utility under Tenn. Code Ann. 7-52-101 and Tenn. Code Ann. 7-35-401 … or to hold management of the Utility accountable for the general and financial operations of the LaFollette Utilities, to the extent that financial and contracting/purchasing irregularities have been publicly reported, and Human Resource grievance investigations have been made, without the LaFollette Utilities Board taking action to address the findings of such investigations, or requiring an independent investigation of any alleged financial irregularities and/or alleged failures by management to follow budgeting, contracting, procurement, purchasing and conflicts of interest policies and procedures required of public utilities by stature and by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office.”
Other reasons cited included some LUB members voting in favor of a 4-percent raise for LUB employees “without regard or consideration of the basis for a raise of that percentage or amount, the current or anticipated finances or budget of the Utility Company, the source of the funds … or the potential impact.”
Part B of the resolution which “recognized and commended the retiring LaFollette Utility Board members” was then read into the record and approved…