Over Mishandling of Public Safety, Failure to Collaborate with Law Enforcement, and Disregard for Community Voices

Introduction

We, the undersigned residents, business owners, and community stakeholders of Johnson City, issue this formal vote of no confidence in City Manager Cathy Ball. Her leadership has failed to reflect the will of the people, address public safety constructively, or collaborate with those most affected by her decisions.

Core Issues & Supporting Facts

1. Disregard for Business Owners, Law Enforcement, and Residents

The city has moved forward with proposals to restrict alcohol service hours—a change that directly threatens long-standing businesses and nightlife culture—without engaging in meaningful dialogue with the people it affects.

Business owners have repeatedly expressed opposition to this approach, as have citizens who support a thriving, safe downtown.

Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton has publicly stated that he has the manpower and is willing to work side by side with city police to solve the safety issues. He believes this issue can be fixed without targeting local businesses.
Despite this, the City Manager and Commission have made no effort to partner with the sheriff’s office or seriously consider alternative solutions.

This complete lack of willingness to work with the county sheriff, the affected businesses, or the general public raises serious concerns about the motives behind these decisions.

2. Alcohol Hour Changes Will Not Solve the Problem

The violence cited in support of the alcohol restrictions is not occurring inside the bars or restaurants. It’s happening on city-owned sidewalks, alleys, and parking lots, after patrons have already left businesses.

Changing alcohol service hours will not eliminate these problems — it will simply change when they happen, not prevent them.

3. A Clear Path Forward Exists – And Is Being Ignored

What business owners, citizens, and Sheriff Sexton are all asking for is simple:

Give the county sheriff’s office a 6–12 month opportunity to work with city police to increase patrols and address late-night public safety before restricting alcohol hours or harming downtown commerce.

This is a common-sense, community-driven, and law-enforcement-backed solution — yet city leadership has not acted on it. If they continue to reject this collaborative path, it becomes clear that this is not about safety, but about something else entirely.

Petition Demands

We, the undersigned, respectfully call for:

A Vote of No Confidence in City Manager Cathy Ball, due to failure to collaborate with county law enforcement, local businesses, and the public she is meant to serve.

A pause on any changes to alcohol service hours, pending real collaboration.
A 6–12 month joint safety initiative led by Sheriff Sexton and city police, with full transparency and measurable goals.
A Downtown Public Safety Advisory Group made up of law enforcement, business owners, and residents to review progress and provide input before any policy changes are made.

Closing Statement

Our goal is not political — it’s practical. A successful, vibrant downtown requires both public safety and economic activity to thrive hand-in-hand. By sidelining local stakeholders, ignoring the sheriff’s offer to help, and dismissing collaborative solutions, City Manager Cathy Ball — and by extension, the leadership team — has demonstrated a top-down leadership style that undermines trust, transparency, and long-term vitality.

Johnson City deserves leadership that listens, works with its people, and uses every available resource before making decisions that could permanently damage its downtown economy and community spirit.

The sheriff is ready. The businesses are ready. The people are ready.

The only question is: Why isn’t our city leadership?

We stand united in demanding better.