Shelton: Time For Council To Focus On City Business

After an investigation found no issues with his hiring at Cookeville Regional, Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton said the City Council needs to move forward with the community’s business.

Shelton issued a statement Wednesday afternoon after the Knoxville attorney hired by the City Council said Shelton violated no rules.

“The report fully vindicates what I’ve said for months,” Shelton said. “Our hospital and I fully complied with all applicable law in a completely transparent manner. While I’m grateful to Kramer Rayson (the attorneys) for his careful, thoughtful approach, their report told us the same thing our city attorneys and others in an official capacity told us two months and thousands of dollars ago. I call on the council to stop wasting our taxpayer’s hard-earned money and focus on the business of the people who elected us.”

Shelton said he planned to release a full statement soon.

In a letter sent to City Manager James Mills Wednesday, attorney William Carver from the Knoxville firm Kramer Rayson found no issues with Cookeville Regional hiring Shelton as Chief Strategy Officer.

“Our investigation concludes that Mayor Shelton did not violate any applicable City Charter provision or State Statutes when he applied for, interviewed, and accepted a job with CRMC,” Carver wrote.