The Coopertown mayoral race took another turn as Robert Watts continued to spread misinformation and conspiracy theories about City Hall finances. In a recent post in the “People of Coopertown” Facebook group he runs, mayoral candidate Robert Watts accused Coopertown City Hall of corruption and financial malfeasance, citing credit card statements showing expenditures on trips to Fall Creek Falls, Amazon purchases, Chick-fil-A catering, and even a riverboat cruise.
In response to these allegations, we reached out to Mayor Werner and City Hall for comment. Mayor Werner clarified the legitimate nature of some of these charges: Fall Creek Falls is the venue for mandatory state training for city clerks and recorders called TAMCAR. This training is required for the clerk and recorder to maintain compliance with their certifications in those positions. While she didn’t go into details regarding some of the other alleged improper spending she did explain she would be making a larger post in the near future to address them. For instance this author knows that Amazon is used by many government entities (local to federal) for office supplies and the like due to its fast delivery and cost-effectiveness, just as Staples or Office Depot would be.
Mayor Werner also provided this statement: “I think transparency is vital in government. So, I applaud the effort of any citizen wishing to learn about the inner workings of Municipal government to reach out and ask questions.
What I don’t appreciate is insinuation or innuendo suggesting inappropriate expenditures or misappropriation of any kind in our Town. Our employees are well trained and work very hard to ensure we are following all federal, state, and Town laws, regulations and ordinances. If you want to question an expenditure or purchase, ask the question to those who can provide you with answers.
It seems that some in our town are working hard to “sew division.” The comments about people who are in government (like me) don’t have this Town’s best interest in mind since they aren’t from here is ridiculous in my opinion. I, and so many others who weren’t born here, have worked so hard for this Town over the years. It doesn’t matter if you have lived here 1 day or 100 years, Coopertown is home to all of us. Instead of posting on social media and trying to “sow seeds of discontent”, we all should be working together to ensure a better future for our citizens.
Additionally we reached out to Mayoral Candidate Jeff Smith, who is also the chairman of the Coopertown Finance and BUdget Committee for his thoughts on the accusations. He had this to say: “As a financial executive and Chair of Coopertown Finance and Budget committee, I expect full disclosure of expenses, however public statements by a citizen or candidate that imply gross financial mismanagement without even asking a question to town hall is not realistic or fair.”
Watts’ accusations are the latest in a series of unsubstantiated claims that reflect his penchant for spreading misinformation and fueling conspiracy theories. His assertions have already been debunked by the city’s transparent practices, including annual independent audits submitted to the State Comptroller, which have shown no discrepancies in recent years. The city’s handling of finances, as evidenced by these audits, is above board, casting doubt on Watts’ repeated attempts to discredit city employees without valid evidence. His continued efforts to spread falsehoods not only undermine his credibility but also reveal a troubling approach to governance that relies more on sensationalism than facts.
You can see the most recent audit HERE on the TN State Comptroller’s website. There is a single finding in the audit: There should be more staff to separate accounting duties. City Hall responded to the finding indicating how they do separate accounting duties, but cannot fully comply given the limited office staff available. It should be noted that the 2024 annual audit was recently completed and the report will be forthcoming.
In the same discussion thread where he accused city officials of improper spending, Watts reaffirmed that he is indeed running for mayor—a contradiction to earlier posts where he was considering stepping aside to avoid pulling votes from fellow candidate Dickie Thompson.
It seems the only thing for certain this election season is the mayoral race, and rhetoric is heating up in Coopertown.
