Jelena Butler, Bill BennettEARLY VOTINGVoters may cast ballots from July 13-July 28 at the following locations in Hamilton County:• Brainerd Recreation Center, 1010 North Moore Road and Eastwood Church, 4300 Ooltewah-Ringgold Road; Northgate Mall, entrance at former Shanes Rib Shack/Pizza Hut next to Belk; Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.• Hamilton County Election Commission, 700 River Terminal Road, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.Source: Hamilton County Election Commission
Hamilton County voters heading to the ballot box Aug. 2 will have a choice for assessor of property for the first time in three election cycles.
Incumbent Bill Bennett, who has run unopposed since the 2000 race, will face Democrat Jelena Butler and independent Conrad Taylor.
Butler, a director in the commercial division of KW Commercial, has built a campaign organization and amassed a campaign warchest of about $10,000. Taylor, a molecular account manager for Cepheid, hasn’t accepted contributions and is running a word-of-mouth campaign.
Bennett has raised more than $50,000 from the Republican base, which he’s been building since his first election to the County Commission in 1980.