ALEXANDRIA, Tenn. – After just ten tumultuous months in office, Mayor Beth Tripp has resigned from her post in the small but politically embattled town of Alexandria. The town is located in DeKalb County and sits about 14 miles west of Center Hill Lake. Tripp announced her decision Wednesday afternoon in a letter to the town that was delivered to WJLE, a WGNS news partner. That letter stated her resignation was “effective immediately.”

“After much discussion with family, friends, and supporters please accept this as my official notice of resignation,” the letter read. “It has been an honor serving my community… It saddens me that they [the board] now have issues with the decisions they have voted in town meetings and do not want to take responsibility for their actions.”

Tripp's departure follows a string of controversies that have rocked the town of fewer than 1,000 residents. On June 9, 2025, just two days before her resignation, Tripp issued a handwritten memo on notebook paper directing City Recorder Jessica Howard and Financial Clerk Rhonda Conaster to leave City Hall early. According to the mayor, the directive was a cost-cutting move to enforce the town charter and address a breakdown in the chain of command. Both employees acknowledged the request by signing the informal note—an action that quickly drew further scrutiny.

The memo came on the heels of a mounting political crisis. On May 31, the Alexandria Board of Aldermen held an unusual Saturday session and voted 4-0 in a "No Confidence" resolution against Mayor Tripp. Neither Tripp nor her husband, Alderman Jonathan Tripp, attended the meeting.

Shortly after the vote, Mayor Tripp and Richard Edward Potter, the town’s Water and Sewer Manager, reportedly turned themselves in to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department. Both face a criminal summons related to allegations that they attempted to pressure the town’s police chief into voiding a traffic citation. A court date is set for June 26 in DeKalb County General Sessions Court.

Public pressure has also intensified. A petition signed by numerous residents and local stakeholders demanded Tripp's resignation, stating her actions have “jeopardized the integrity of Alexandria’s government” and called for her removal “by lawful means.”

Adding to the legal and political firestorm, a federal lawsuit has been filed by former town recorder and court clerk Patricia Houser. The suit accuses Tripp and the town of wrongful termination, slander, and denial of due process. A jury trial is scheduled for October 20, 2026, in Cookeville federal court.

Compounding the town’s instability, Alexandria currently lacks a town attorney. Recent attempts to fill council and department positions stalled after some aldermen expressed concerns about proceeding without legal counsel.

The Alexandria Board of Aldermen now faces the challenge of restoring public trust while managing the fallout from the mayor’s resignation. The board includes Vice Mayor Bobby Simpson, Luke Prichard, Jeff Ford, Jonathan Tripp, Sherry Tubbs, and David Cripps.

As one chapter closes for the town of Alexandria, many are left wondering what comes next?

DISCLAIMER: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed.