WHAT’S NEXTCounty commissioners are expected to name a District 3 commissioner at their meeting at 9:30 a.m.Thursday at the county courthouse.APPOINTMENT HISTORY District 1* Fred Skillern: Appointed Jan. 17, 2001, to replace Jim Vincent. Elected in 2002, 2006 and 2010.District 2No appointments made. Current commissioner is Jim Fields.District 3* Charlotte Vandergriff: Appointed Aug. 1, 1996, to complete the term of her late husband, Buster Vandergriff. Elected in 1998, 2002. Didn’t seek re-election in 2006; replaced by Jim Coppinger.District 4* Art Campbell: Appointed July 20, 1993, to complete the term of Rheubin Taylor; resigned July 20, 1995, to join the Clinton administration.* Sheila Harris: Appointed Aug. 2, 1995; lost in August 1996 to William Cotton, who was elected in 1998 and 2002 and resigned Feb. 20, 2006.* Warren Mackey: Appointed March 13, 2006 to replace Cotton; elected in 2006, 2010.District 5* Greg Beck: Appointed Feb. 10, 2005, to complete the term of JoAnne Favors; elected in 2006, 2010.District 6* Lou Miller: Appointed in 2004 to replace her husband, Ben Miller, until the August general election; elected in August 2004 to finish his term ending Aug. 31, 2006; lost seat in 2006 to John Allen Brooks. Current Commissioner Joe Graham elected 2010.District 7No appointments made. Current commissioner is Larry Henry.District 8* No appointments made. Current commissioner is Tim Boyd.District 9* Frank Newell: Appointed to replace Claude Ramsey in 1980, didn’t seek election. Bill Bennett elected in 1980, resigned Sept. 19, 1994.* Jerry Turner: Appointed as caretaker Oct. 3, 1994, to serve until November election when George Shuford was elected. Current Commissioner Chester Bankston elected August 2010.Source: Hamilton County Clerk’s Office
Whomever Hamilton County commissioners name to fill the vacant District 3 seat stands a good chance of getting elected to the post in 2012.
History shows that once commissioners are appointed, voters tend to return them to office as long as they want to stay.
Of the eight current commissioners, three were appointed and subsequently elected. Over the last 30 years, only two commissioners of nine appointed lost election bids for a four-year term.
Commissioner Fred Skillern, named to the commission in 2001 after Jim Vincent won a state House seat, said the appointment gave him an advantage when he ran for election.
“It gives you name recognition, so naturally you know a little bit about what’s going on,” said the Soddy-Daisy businessman, who has been re-elected three times and previously served as an elected county school board member.
County commissions in Tennessee fill vacancies in nearly every county elected office, from judgeships and board of education seats to state representatives. For example, in March 2006 commissioners chose Vince Dean to replace state Rep. Jack Sharp, who died from lung cancer. Rep. Dean was elected to the General Assembly later that year and has been re-elected twice since then.
Hamilton County commissioners are in the process of appointing a District 3 commissioner after naming Jim Coppinger county mayor. Commissioners plan to fill the vacancy Thursday. Ten candidates have applied.
The law makes appointment the commission’s only option to fill vacancies, although Coppinger has said he’d like to talk to the Hamilton County legislative delegation about reforming that process.
Some commissioners agree a change is needed.
Skillern, like other commissioners, said he’s not satisfied with the appointment process, but the alternative — an election for every vacancy — would be costly. The Hamilton County Election Commission estimated the cost at $100,000 per election.
“I’d be more than happy to look at something different and weigh it against this process,” Skillern said. “Do you want to spend $100,000 every time we have a vacancy?”
Commission Chairman Larry Henry said appointing someone “is probably not the best way” to fill a vacancy.
“I don’t like making these appointments,” he said.
Richard Wilson, a professor of political science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, said if someone is appointed in a smooth process, it could be an advantage at election time. A controversial appointment process, however, could hurt an appointee at the ballot box, he said.
Vanderbilt professor of political science Bruce Oppenheimer agreed.
“If there is any controversy around your appointment and if you have not run for that office, you’re probably not in a strong position if you’re an incumbent,” he said.
Wilson said finding an impartial way to resolve deadlocks should be the focus of reform efforts.
“I would recommend that the County Commission … think about how they can find an appropriate, neutral, objective tie-breaking procedure,” he said.
Contact staff writer Dan Whisenhunt at dwhisenhunt@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6481.
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