TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jan 6, 2025

A planned Hamilton County Commission vote on a proposal to move private practice attorney Janie Varnell into the role of county attorney has been rescheduled. The commission now will not address the issue until Jan. 15, according to the Chattanoogan. County Mayor Weston Wamp is backing the proposal, which would allow Varnell to join county government and take over as county attorney starting in July, while current county attorney Rheubin Taylor would stay on until the first of next year. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the commission previously had set Jan. 8 for the vote. Taylor told commission members last month that the proposal, which would place Varnell in a transitional role within the county attorney’s office, breaches his contract, which gives him authority over personnel.