The Chattanooga City Council on Tuesday appointed Marvene Noel to take over the District 8 seat vacated by former Councilman Anthony Byrd last month.
Council members voted 6-2 to appoint Noel, of Orchard Knob, to fill the seat. She was one of seven candidates considered. Two members, Darrin Ledford, of East Brainerd, and Ken Smith, of Hixson, voted instead for candidate Armand Wine.
"I am looking forward to meeting with each of the neighborhoods and trying to bring to them the template we have in Orchard Knob," Noel said, adding that she intends to run in August to continue representing the seat.
(READ MORE: Anthony Byrd vacating Chattanooga City Council seat to take over as city court clerk)
Noel specifically pointed to the communication and collaboration seen among Orchard Knob residents, which have helped local projects such as planting trees, renovating homes and working to improve lighting in the area.
Noel, who was also sworn in Tuesday, touted her deep ties within the District 8 community as a strong point in her candidacy.
In addition to serving as a member of the Orchard Knob Neighborhood Association, she also serves on the Park Ridge Health System Board of Governors; as director of diversity for the League of Women Voters of Chattanooga; as the Chattanooga lead for health disparities on the Neighborhoods Development Oversight Committee; the Orchard Knob Collaborative; and the East Chattanooga Community Council.
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"Marvene has a long history of getting things done," said Councilwoman Jenny Hill, of North Chattanooga, who nominated Noel. "I was particularly impressed by the work that she's done in the Orchard Knob neighborhood. She just demonstrated that she's someone who knows the district and is capable of getting people together to achieve things."
City Council chair Chip Henderson, of Lookout Valley, also lauded Noel's experience working with the community.
"She seemed to have a lot of community involvement, and I think that probably was one of her strongest suits," Henderson said. "Her willingness to just get in and get involved and make familiarity with the community; I think she'll do great."
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District 8 includes the following precincts:
- Amnicola.
- Avondale.
- Bushtown.
- Courthouse 1 and Courthouse 2.
- Eastside 1 and Eastside 2.
Mayor Tim Kelly announced last month he had appointed Byrd as the City Court clerk. Since then, he had not participated in council votes, nor had he attended meetings.
Byrd's salary as a council member was $26,919. His salary as clerk is $85,000.
City Court handles traffic, parking and garbage violations and some animal cases. The clerk runs the office, supports the judges, keeps the records and collects the fines.
Contact Logan Hullinger at lhullinger@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416. Follow him on Twitter @LoganHullinger.