Commissioner resigns
District 6’s Catherine Denenberg moving to Florida
First District Anderson County Commissioner Tracy Wandell, Law DIrector Jay Yeager, Fourth District Commissioner Shain Vowell and commission Chairman Joshua Anderson talk before a special meeting of County Commission during which it accepted Catherine Denenberg’s resignation. (photo:Ben Pounds )
The County Commission voted to accept her resignation in a special called meeting Thursday, April 27.
Denenberg is moving to Florida, which would disqualify her from serving on the commission. She represented the sixth district, which represents people who vote in the Oak Ridge Senior Center, Robertsville and West Hills locations.
“She told me point blank that she left the county today,” Anderson County Law Director Jay Yeager said, adding that she closed on her home’s sale that morning. Deneberg was unavailable for comment. Earlier she told another media outlet she planned to move to Florida to be with her sister after health difficulties last year. While she said she had gotten better, she still planned to move.
“We’ll miss her,” Yeager said. “Brought a good mind. Rational thinker.”
Anderson County Chief Deputy Annette Prewitt said the county planned to run an ad in The Courier-News giving information on applying to fill Denenberg’s seat. The county will accept applications and resumes until noon May 12 in Room 118 of Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton. The County Commission plans to choose a replacement at its May, 15 meeting, and voters will likely get a chance to vote on the seat in March 2024.
County Commission Chairman Joshua Anderson read her resignation letter out loud at the meeting. In it she said it had been a “pleasure” to serve her constituents.
“I’m sure you know of the problems I’ve had since last year, and I can no longer serve in this capacity. I do hope a very excellent replacement is chosen to replace me. All the best to the rest of the team,” she said.
“Catherine was a great friend. She was everybody’s neighbor and excelled,” Fourth District Commissioner Tim Isbel said. He said the two of them worked together “even though we were on opposite sides of the fence.”