“My residence has always been in the city (of Blue Ridge),” Blue Ridge Councilman Nathan Fitts said following allegations that he was not living within city limits prior to qualifying for the 2017 election.
Those allegations have been widely distributed in recent weeks, with the accuser identifying themself as “A Concerned Citizen.”
According to the city charter, candidates for city council or mayor must have lived within the City of Blue Ridge consistently for at least 12 months prior to qualifying and must maintain that status throughout one’s term.
“I was a resident, and I did pay city taxes, probably one of the largest in the city actually for years,” Fitts said. “I was a resident of the City of Blue Ridge a long time in advance of the one year required.”
After Fitts made allegations that Mayor Donna Whitener does not currently reside within city limits, accusations about Fitts’ residence prior to his election arose.
The News Observer received allegations that Fitts was living at either 161 Amber Ridge, Blue Ridge, or 1255 Scenic Drive, Blue Ridge, which are outside city limits, during the time of his election.
“I probably got the same chart in the mail from ‘A Concerned Citizen’ who is so concerned they won’t put their name to it,” Fitts said. “I suspect that the mayor put the ‘concerned citizen’ up to it. She is one of the best self deflectors I know.”
Whitener also claimed Fitts was not residing within the city prior to qualifying, but could not provide any information as to where he was living.
“The house at 161 Amber Ridge wasn’t even finished with furniture and ready for occupancy until the winter of 2017,” Fitts said adding that he qualified for election in August 2017.
He also noted that the house was a spec house that he kept for tax purposes until selling in 2019.
“I am well aware of how things can look and how people’s perception can get on subjects, so upon the first opportunity to sell the house at 161 Amber Ridge, I did and closed it in November 2019,” Fitts said. “I wanted to just eliminate any unnecessary issues and additional headache.
“I find it ironic and a little strange that almost four years into my term, and now this comes up. It comes up as something the mayor wants to use to get the attention off herself as she still doesn’t reside in the city limits after 11 years and her third term as mayor.
“I would have thought she would have sold that house (Whitener’s house in Staurolite Mountain subdivision, which is said to be her physical residence) and eliminated that issue all together as well if it was just an ‘investment property.’
“I know during the previous election she had me put a for sale sign in the yard, but didn’t want it ‘listed’ so it would look like she was trying to sell it. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it, and because I was her nephew, I didn’t really think much more about it. What a different perspective I have now after being involved on the inside.”
He explained that prior to qualifying, he resided in an apartment within the city at The Blue Ridge Lodge by Comfort Inn & Suites, which he built and owned and operated for some years.
“The other city residences I had in the city from there were the following: 26 College Street, Blue Ridge, Georgia, 170 West Main Street, Blue Ridge, Georgia, 116 West Main Street, Unit 2E, Blue Ridge (Blue Ridge Station), to presently where I reside at 600 West Main Street,” Fitts said.