Over the past several days, I have been reviewing campaign finance disclosures and the activities of organizations participating in this year’s Signal Mountain Town Council election. Several things have caught my attention.

First, the financial disclosures reveal substantial overlap in contributors to Andrew Coyle and Austin Scofield, including contributions from individuals and organizations that also support Clay Crumbliss.

One particularly interesting connection is the Friends to Elect Elizabeth Schmidt committee, associated with Lizzy Schmidt, the Vice Mayor of neighboring Walden.

The committee contributed $500 each to Coyle and Scofield, for a total of $1,000.

I have questions about why a campaign committee associated with an elected official in one municipality is financially supporting candidates in another. I am also curious whether the individuals who contributed to that committee knew their contributions might ultimately be used to support candidates outside Walden.

Separately, the Signal Mountain Fire Fighters Association has publicly endorsed four candidates: Crumbliss, Coyle, Scofield and Scott Gossett.

The association has produced and distributed campaign materials promoting these four candidates and has organized door-to-door campaigning on their behalf. Based on the extent of those activities, I would be interested in knowing how much the association has spent.

So far, I have been unable to locate financial disclosures accounting for that election-related spending. That does not mean the association has failed to comply with any reporting requirements, but I believe the public deserves clarity about how these activities are funded and where any applicable disclosures can be found.

There have also been behind-the-scenes discussions about forming a second group of candidates in response to the association-backed group.

After considering those discussions, I have decided not to participate in forming or joining a competing slate. I will continue running independently.

I encourage residents to examine the public campaign finance filings and the activities of organizations involved in the election, ask questions about the relationships they reveal, and reach their own conclusions.

I also encourage the community to give individual consideration to candidates outside the association’s endorsed group. Every candidate deserves to be evaluated on their own merits, qualifications, ideas, and record.

I intend to finish this election the same way I have approached my service on Town Council: making my own decisions, speaking for myself, and remaining accountable to the residents of Signal Mountain.

J. Miles Jorgensen