A Carter County constable has resigned from his position and withdrawn his candidacy in the upcoming elections.

On Tuesday, during the commissioner comments portion of the County Commission meeting, Commissioner Charles VonCannon asked to address his colleagues.

VonCannon said a man had approached him and given him a letter and asked him to read it to the Commission during the meeting.

“I discussed this with the Chairman (Dr. Robert Acuff), and he suggested I read it and then whichever committee thinks they need to address the contents of this, please volunteer to take it,” VonCannon said.

VonCannon then proceeded to read the letter, which was from now former-constable Tim Lyons. The Elizabethton Star obtained a copy of the letter and it is printed here in its entirety:

“To whom it may concerns

I Tim Lyons constable of the 4th District resigning my position as constable as of Jan 16th 2018

Thanks For Letting me serve you All

Reason Being

For the last 3 1/2 years I feel I have been harassed by the current Sheriff being unable To do the job I was elected to do.

By taking away my radio clearance through NCIC

Note

The Questions about me not living in my district was put to rest on Jan 3 2017

But I Am still getting the same Treatment

I will be giving a copy To the new”

After VonCannon read the letter, a copy was given to the County Court Clerk and to Commissioner Randall Jenkins, who serves as Chairman of the county’s Law Enforcement Committee. The letter was also forwarded to the Carter County Election Commission since Lyons was resigning from his elected position as constable.

On Friday, Carter County Administrator of Elections Tracy Harris confirmed she had received Lyons’ resignation and said on Wednesday Lyons turned in paperwork to withdraw as a candidate for constable of the 4th District in the upcoming county election.

According to Election Commission records, Lyons picked up his candidate petition for the election on November 29. He returned the petition on January 9 and after the signatures were verified he qualified as a candidate for the position of constable for the 4th District.

The County Commission will now be tasked with appointing a new constable to serve the 4th District until after the county’s general election in August.