Caucuses planned for Hamilton County Commission vacancy

Hamilton County Assessor of Property candidate Marty Haynes participates in a forum at the Kiwanis Club meeting Tuesday, June 21, 2016, at the Mountain City Club.
Hamilton County Assessor of Property candidate Marty Haynes participates in a forum at the Kiwanis Club meeting Tuesday, June 21, 2016, at the Mountain City Club.
photo Greg Martin

Hamilton County District 3 Republicans and Democrats will both caucus on Sept. 8 to put nominees forward to fill the district's soon-to-be-vacant county commission seat.

Nominees will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Marty Haynes, a Republican who now holds the commission seat, steps down Aug. 31 to assume his new duties as the county assessor of property. He defeated Democrat Mark Siedlecki in the August general election. He replaces Bill Bennett, who did not seek re-election after holding the assessor seat for 22 years.

So far, only one candidate has emerged for the District 3 seat, which represents Hixson, Middle Valley, Lakesite and Big Ridge: Republican Greg Martin, a real estate agent who serves as the district's representative on the county school board.

"The people in Hamilton County desire and deserve a local government that is efficient with their tax dollars and focused on economic growth," Martin said in a recent announcement. "I look forward to partnering with others to continue to build on the successes this county has enjoyed."

Should Martin win his bid for the county commission seat, he will in turn leave a vacant seat on the Hamilton County Board of Education.

As the district's commissioner, Martin would nominate an appointee to serve the rest of his term, which lasts until 2018. The County Commission votes on the appointment.

"It's way too early for that," Martin said in a phone interview Monday. "I've got a profile in mind, but not a person. I've got to win the caucus before I can really talk about that."

Others have expressed some interest in the seat, but none of them have formally announced their intentions, Hamilton County Republican Chairman Tony Sanders said Tuesday. Sanders declined to identify any potential candidates, saying he would not discuss them until they decided to announce their candidacy for the District 3 seat.

The district's Republican delegates will hold their caucus at the North River Community Center in Hixson at 7 p.m., he said.

The Democrat caucus will take place at International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers at 3922 Volunteer Drive at 6:30 p.m., according to a recent announcement by Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Terry Lee. Rules Chairman Billy Joyner, a local attorney, will conduct the caucus.

Lee urged "all Democrats living in District 3" to attend the caucus to elect the party's nominee, adding that several District 3 residents have expressed interest in running for the seat, but none have made a formal announcement.

Once Haynes leaves the County Commission, the seat will remain vacant until the certification and swearing in of the special election winner, according to Commission Chairman Chester Bankston.

Commissioner Joe Graham has twice requested that the commission consider naming an appointee to represent the District 3 seat instead of leaving it empty for over two months.

"I know that District 3 shouldn't be unrepresented, but I, me personally, would prefer us to not get involved in the District 3 race by appointing somebody that might be running," Graham said previously. "I would very much like to see us go ahead and take applications and appoint a conservator to that seat."

Graham also voiced concerns over 4-4 commission deadlocks that could occur while the district goes unrepresented.

Haynes has said that District 3 constituents have not expressed concerns over the vacancy.

Contact staff writer Paul Leach at 423-757-6481 or pleach@timesfreepress.com. Follow on Twitter @pleach_tfp.

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