Amber Mills can stay on August ballot, is a Shelby County resident, chancellor rules

Shelby County Commissioner Amber Mills can remain on the August ballot seeking reelection after a Shelby County Chancellor turned away a challenge to her residency.

"(I am) glad I can stay on the ballot," Mills said. "What a waste of our time, money and taxpayer money in a desperate attempt to keep my husband off of the ballot."

Chancellor Jim Kyle's on Wednesday decision mirrored his earlier decision regarding Lee Mills, Amber Mills' husband, who is seeking election to House District 99. Lee Mills' eligibility was challenged by Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins, which triggered a challenge to Amber Mills.

LEE MILLS: Lee Mills can stay on the ballot, but where does Shelby County end, where does Fayette County begin?

Kyle ruled in May that Lee Mills could stay on the ballot, but had to hold another hearing regarding Amber Mills.

The residency of the Republican political couple was called into question because a map of 2020 census data shows their Arlington home, as well as about 200 other Arlington homes, appearing in Fayette County.

Lee Mills is facing Tom Leatherwood, the current House District 99 representative, in the Republican Primary Aug. 4. He lost to Leatherwood in 2020 but his residency was not challenged then.

"This whole county line issue was done to keep me off the ballot. There's no other way to look at it," Lee Mills posted on his Facebook page Thursday. "This fight has wasted taxpayer money and quite frankly, it has wasted ten-of-thousands of our personal money. That said, it was worth every penny. Exposing corruption is always good thing."

In his Wednesday ruling, Kyle said that Amber Mills, like her husband, is a resident of Shelby County.

Mills has paid Shelby County property taxes every year in which taxes were assessed, registered her vehicle in Shelby County and is a registered voter in Shelby County, according to the order of final judgment.

The order also states that it was the intent of the Shelby County Commission to draw the eastern border of District 1, for which Mills is seeking reelection, "coterminous with the Shelby County-Fayette County border."

Mills ran uncontested in her Republican primary last month and is slated to face Democrat D. McDonald-Martin in the general election. She has represented her commission district, which includes Arlington and Millington, since 2018.

Katherine Burgess covers county government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com, 901-529-2799 or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Amber Mills will have shot at reelection after chancellor ruling