The field is set for the Nov. 6 Hamilton County general elections following the passing of the qualifying deadline Aug. 16, and most area municipalities will have contested races.
The Signal Mountain Town Council race had two last-minute qualifiers: Rob Hensley, who was part of the ad hoc committee that researched the viability of the town's three public schools breaking off from Hamilton County Schools and forming their own school district; and Rick Saputa, a consultant to the nuclear electric utility industry who also applied to serve the final two months of former Vice Mayor Dick Gee's term.
Rick and Joyce Saputa filed a lawsuit against the town and other defendants in February on a violation of the Civil Rights Act, but voluntarily dismissed the case Aug. 22.
Councilors voted to name Brandon Anthony as Gee's replacement at their Aug. 24 agenda session.
Joining Gee's seat on the November ballot are Mayor Chris Howley's and Councilman Dan Landrum's, whose terms also end in November.
Landrum is the only one running for another term. Other candidates vying for a seat are Joe Durek, who serves on the town's personnel committee and applied unsuccessfully to serve on the town's School System Viability Committee in 2017; former Mayor Bill Lusk; retired Postal Service employee Dun Monroe; and Susannah Murdock, who works for Signal Mountain Social Services as a tutor and mentor for students at Signal Mountain Middle/High School.
In the mountaintop community of Walden, Sarah A. McKenzie, who is serving the remainder of former Alderman Thom Peterson's term that ends in November, is running unopposed for another term.
Lakesite Mayor Ken Wilkerson and Councilwoman Valerie Boddy's terms expire in November, and both are running for another term. Michelle Wilson, treasurer of the 2018 Lakesite Recreation Club Committee, is also running for one of the two open seats.
Running for the Red Bank commissioner-at-large seat that will be vacated by Mayor John Roberts, who is not running for another term, are former Commissioner Ruth Jeno and former assistant to the director of Public Works Jimmy Mathis, who was terminated in 2013 for being incapable of performing his job duties because they were mainly outdoors. He was diagnosed with lupus, for which the symptoms are aggravated by exposure to UV rays, and his doctor wrote a note stating Mathis could not work outside. He sued the city for failing to make reasonable accommodations for his disability, but judges twice decided in the city's favor, both at the federal level and in Appeals Court.
Red Bank District 1 Commissioner Terry Pope and District 3 Commissioner Edward LeCompte's terms expire in November, and both are running unopposed for another term.
The terms of Soddy-Daisy Mayor Robert Cothran and Commissioner Rick Nunley expire in November. Both are running for the city commission in November, along with Bill Layne, who ran unsuccessfully in 2016.
The voter registration deadline is Oct. 9, and early voting begins Oct. 17.
Signal fills vice mayor's seat
At their Aug. 24 agenda session, Signal Mountain town councilors unanimously voted Brandon Anthony, owner of Chattanooga Jewelry Company, to serve the remaining two months of former Vice Mayor Dick Gee's term.
Earlier in the meeting, Councilwoman Amy Speek nominated Marleah Alpers for the position, which was seconded by Mayor Chris Howley. Speek said she nominated Alpers because she doesn't come to meetings with an agenda and is "very neutral." She asked the other councilors if they had a reason why Alpers shouldn't serve in the role, and all responded 'no.'
Councilman Dan Landrum again suggested, as he had at the council's previous meeting, that the council choose Gee's replacement by ranking the applicants and selecting the top-ranked candidate. Speek said she would prefer to vote on individual nominees as opposed to ranking them, which would take longer.
Before the council was to vote on Speek's nomination, Councilman Bob Spalding proposed that they each write down their top three candidates of choice as Landrum had suggested, as it would likely only take an extra five minutes, and Speek agreed.
After adding up their responses, Howley said Anthony received the nomination. He was ranked by all the councilors except Landrum, and received Spalding's top ranking. Alpers was the top choice for Howley and Speek, and Landrum's top choice was Annie Hall.
Howley then nominated Speek to fill the vice mayor role, and all were in favor.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.