The Hamilton County Commission voted Wednesday to seat whoever wins the District 8 election today, giving the winner a chance to vote on the proposed 2011 budget.
Whoever wins today's election for the District 8 seat officially will be seated by the commission on Aug. 12, about three weeks earlier than the Sept. 1 swearing-in date.
Being approved early will give the winner an opportunity to represent the district when the commission approves its new budget, panel Chairman Fred Skillern said.
"I personally think we need to do it to give District 8 a voice," Skillern said.
The seat has been vacant since former commissioner Curtis Adams left in May to become city manager in Crossville, Tenn.
The four candidates running for the seat are Democrat Kenny Smith, Republican Tim Boyd and independents Jim Winters and Terry Turner.
Commissioner Warren Mackey said East Ridge, which is in District 8, "needs to be heard" when the commission approves its budget. But he noted the winner will not have had time to go over the budget with the rest of the commission before being asked to approve it Aug. 12.
In other business, commissioners increased the contract for a railroad bridge over Bonny Oaks Drive by $60,000.
Mayor Claude Ramsey said the contractor, Kay & Kay Contracting, encountered problems with a water line and had to dig deeper than planned to hit bedrock.
Commissioners also approved buying used railroad track materials for $339,000, which Ramsey said saved the county about $700,000.
Both items are related to the rail line serving the Volkswagen plant at Enterprise South industrial park.
County attorney Rheubin Taylor told commissioners that Elisha Hodge, counsel for the state Office of Open Records, would make a presentation Aug. 12 on the state's open records law.