MARYVILLE, Tenn. — Lawyers for Blount County told the Chancery Court judge in Blount County they would like to remove one of the county-appointed members of the Blount Memorial Hospital Board.
"Our countercomplaint was for the court to make it clear that [Mays'] removal was effective," said Craig Garrett, one of the attorneys arguing on behalf of Blount County.
In November, the Blount County Commission voted to remove three members the county appointed to the Blount Memorial Hospital board. Blount Memorial Hospital sued Blount County and in a court filing argued that the vote violated Tennessee law.
One of those board members resigned from the Blount Memorial Hospital board, and another's term expired at the end of 2022. The third is still on the board, and the county is trying to add him as a party to the lawsuit, so they can ask the Chancellor to remove him.
"It looks like, rather than proceeding in the traditional legal way, they are trying to go around the backside and circumvent the composition of the board," said T. Scott Jones, a legal analyst for 10News, who is not connected to this case.
Jones said, he thinks Blount County installing friendly Blount Memorial Hospital board members will allow the county to exercise control over the hospital, rather than the lawsuit, which could take over a year.
"I think that it is very likely this will basically abrogate the need for litigation associated with this matter," Jones said. "Not to say that folks won't litigate it, but it's certainly an end around."
The legal disagreement between Blount Memorial Hospital and Blount County began when the nonprofit which controls the hospital tried to sell a property in Alcoa.
Blount County tried to stop the sale, saying that the property was bought with county funds and was, therefore, county property, and BMH, Inc. sued.
The attorney representing Blount County did not want to comment on this story. Blount Memorial Hospital also declined to comment.