In Absentia
by Liz Murray Garrigan
The question of whether Metro Council member Tim Garrett, one of four candidates for vice mayor, is the appropriate choice on Aug. 5 may come down more to the events logged in his daytimer than his ability to perform the job. Garrett’s other legislative role, as a state House member from Goodlettsville, tends to take time away from his Council service.
Most recently, Garrett was busy with legislators and lobbyists at Pickwick Landing State Park for a fundraiser benefiting St. Jude when his Council colleagues were voting last week on the controversial giveaways to Dell Computer Corp. It was the second of three readings, and Garrett, who doesn’t have the most shining attendance record, was absent for both.
The benefit, he says, was a previous commitment, and the mayor’s office had assured him that his vote in favor of the plan wasn’t crucial on second reading. Furthermore, he says, he has demonstrated his commitment to the Council in the past by going so far as to fly back from vacation for an important vote.
Nevertheless, Garrett’s stiffest competition for the job, at-large Metro Council member Ronnie Steine, responds by saying that Garrett’s absence helps define the difference between the two of them. Perhaps, Steine suggests, Garrett is overcommitted. Each job—in the Legislature and at the Council—“ought to require the full attention” of the officeholder.
