Chattanooga City Council -- May 27, 2008
Linda Bennett

The Chattanooga City Council is taking applications for the District 5 seat to be vacated by indicted Councilman John “Duke” Franklin Jr. and will appoint a temporary replacement on June 10.

Applicants for the interim appointment must agree not to run in the Nov. 4 special election to fill the rest of Mr. Franklin’s term, which ends in March. At that point next year, candidates will run for a full four-year term.

The deadline for interim appointment applications — which must include a letter of intent and a biographical sketch or resume — is June 6 at 1 p.m. The City Council will hear from applicants on June 10 before making its decision.

The council set forth the process for replacing Mr. Franklin on the same day that he pleaded not guilty to money laundering and other federal charges in connection with a federal drug investigation. He and 41 others were charged in the roundup on May 14.

At its Tuesday night session, the City Council formally accepted Mr. Franklin’s resignation, which will be effective June 3.

At a specially called Legal and Legislative Committee meeting Tuesday afternoon, City Attorney Randy Nelson told council members that the qualifying deadline has passed for the elections already set for Aug. 7, so the special race for Mr. Franklin’s seat must be held in November. And, he said, the council cannot forgo a special election for a replacement and simply wait for the March elections.

After the committee meeting, Council Chairwoman Linda Bennett said the appointment process is “consistent” with past procedures. Following previous council vacancies, the panel tapped the interim replacements of Wallace Powers for District 9 and Mike Feely for District 6.

“That’s the whole goal, to be fair and consistent so that we’re moving forward with the business,” she said. “We’re not getting ahead of ourselves, but we’re not dragging our feet either.”

The individual who wins the November special election must qualify in December if he or she wants to run again in the spring, Mr. Nelson said.

“At least they’ll get their money’s worth out of their (campaign) signs,” he joked.

The qualifying deadline for the Nov. 4 special District 5 election will be Aug. 21, Mr. Nelson said.

Ms. Bennett said the City Council’s interim District 5 appointee will be able to attend a June 11 training session already set through the University of Tennessee’s Municipal Technical Advisory Service. She said there’s also a chance that those running in November could go to the training.

Russell Gilbert Sr., who works at Parkridge Medical Center, said last week that he plans to run for District 5. Other potential candidates are Cynthia Stanley Cash, president of the North Brainerd Neighborhood Association, and Robert Schreane, former chairman of the North Brainerd Community Council.