Marty Lowe has resigned as chairman of the board of Causeway, citing unfavorable publicity involving a potential city contract for himself and his wife, Donna Christian Lowe.
The Berke administration is recommending that the Lowes get a share of a $1.8 million city temporary staffing contract though their firm just got its business license on Jan. 15.
The City Council is set to vote on the issue on Tuesday night.
The administration is recommending that the Lowes get a portion of the business that has been handled for the past 11 years by Outsource Staffing, a North Chattanooga firm.
The City Council earlier voted 7-2 to use Outsource Staffing only and it signed a contract for a year with two one-year extensions. But Councilman Chip Henderson asked for a revote.
It was learned that the Lowes filed personal bankruptcies in 2010 and 2013 with the city among the creditors.
Marty Lowe was among 41 people arrested in a gambling raid on Lee Highway in 2012.
The warrant was executed at 8:11 a.m. at 7510 Lee Highway, suites 7 & 8 (Poker Depot). When officers entered the Poker Depot, they found Lowe and 40 other people "engaged in illegal poker games" and all were arrested.
Items seized included cash, eight pills, 7.8 grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, gambling paraphernalia, four poker tables, and a .22 caliber pistol with four bullets.
He got a 30-day suspended sentence and conditional diversion on the gambling charge.
Marty Lowe sent this letter to members of the Causeway board:
Board members,
Thank you for the opportunity to participate and serve Causeway over the last couple of years.
There have been some surprising attacks on me and my family due to my journey as an entrepreneur and for a significant contract from the city, as a minority owned company.
Due to the recent media coverage and our firm’s stance of respectfully allowing the process to work equitably for all involved, I am confident it is best that I resign from the Causeway Board effective immediatly, so there is minimal negative impact in the organization.
Regards, J. Marty Lowe