Chattanooga Taxicab Regulatory Board Meeting – May 7, 2026

The Chattanooga Taxicab Regulatory Board met on May 7, 2026, at 19:32 UTC to handle routine approvals, hear updates on ongoing legal matters, and address operational compliance concerns. Key actions included approving driver permit renewals and a taxi inspection, discussing the status of Mercury Transportation’s lawsuit, and voting to invite Mercury Transportation’s attorney to the June meeting over alleged unlicensed operations.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The board unanimously approved the minutes from the April 2026 meeting.
• Driver Permit Renewals: Approved renewals for Vernon Owens (Mercury), Nathaniel Rochelle (Mercury), and Rashid Patel (Nuga Taxi). All fees and paperwork were completed.
• Taxi Inspection: Approved the inspection for Mercury Cab 267; all fees and paperwork were completed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Norman Freeman (Uptown Taxi): Mr. Freeman stated he has completed all required paperwork, including background checks, DOT physical, driver permit application, passenger-for-hire certificate, and community petitions. He expressed readiness to submit the materials to Inspector Moser. The board informed him that a public hearing would be required once the regulatory committee approves the application.
• Jonathan Easter (Nuga Taxi): Reported progress at City Council on taxi rate matters, noting Councilman Ron Elliott is actively working on ordinance rewording. He also raised concerns about Mercury Transportation’s alleged violations (name/color similarity, flat-rate pricing, past incident with Tanisa Fletcher). He questioned whether Mercury Transportation is immune from accountability due to the pending lawsuit and argued the lawsuit concerns money owed, not business ownership, citing a Tennessee Times Free Press article. He requested the board revisit previously tabled violations.

Discussion Items

• Old Business – Mercury Taxi vs. Mercury Transportation: The board reviewed the status of the pending lawsuit. Attorney Trunnell noted Mercury Transportation has sued the city, and the case remains unresolved. Board members discussed whether pending violations exist; Sergeant (acting for Inspector Moser) stated he was unaware of any current pending violation for Mercury Transportation and noted their permit appeared to have expired with no renewal on file. Mr. Easter argued the company may be operating without a permit. The board discussed the need for a show-cause hearing rather than a citation, based on past practice.
• Taxi Rate Status: The board noted that taxi rate adjustments are still being handled by City Council, and Uptown Taxi’s paperwork was not received by the meeting date (Mr. Freeman later testified he had completed it but had not yet submitted it due to Inspector Moser’s absence).

Key Outcomes

• Motion to Invite Mercury Transportation to June Meeting: Passed unanimously. The board directed that Mercury Transportation’s attorney, Mr. Boston, be invited to the June 2026 board meeting for a show-cause hearing regarding alleged operation without a permit, as well as to address prior unresolved violations (flat-rate pricing, name/color similarity, and the incident with Tanisa Fletcher). The board requested that the evidence from previous social media investigations be circulated to all members.
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned, followed by a training session.