Two new members of the Oak Ridge City Council and one incumbent will be sworn in Monday. Two incumbents re-elected to the Oak Ridge Board of Education will also be sworn in.
The two new City Council members are Jim Dodson and Hans Vogel. The incumbent is Chuck Hope.
The two school board members who were re-elected in the November 8 municipal election are Angi Agle and Keys Fillauer. [Read more…]
Seven candidates for Anderson County Charter Commission sparred over term limits, cutting the Anderson County Commission almost in half, and electing the law director during a public forum in Oak Ridge in October. The candidates, all from three Oak Ridge districts, are pictured above. They are, from top left, top row, Marjorie Mott Lloyd, Steve Mead, Kathy Moore, Theresa Scott, and from bottom left, bottom row, Bob Smallridge, David Stanley, and Hugh Ward. (Photos by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Candidates for Anderson County Charter Commission sparred over term limits, cutting the Anderson County Commission almost in half, and electing the law director during a public forum this month.
There was also a heated exchange over whether two candidates—both county commissioners, including one in her first term and another halfway through his second—are permanent officeholders.
The seven candidates are running for three seats on the eight-member Anderson County Charter Commission in the November 8 election.
The debate over term limits has focused on whether the limits are necessary, whether they would encourage more young people to run for office, and whether Anderson County voters already have the right to impose term limits through elections, among other arguments for and against.
As proposed during the campaign, there could be a two-term limit on county commissioners and the county mayor. However, nothing will be official until the Charter Commission is elected next month, and the Charter Commission is not obligated to consider the proposal. Whether the commission even considers term limits could depend upon which candidates are elected. Any changes proposed by the Charter Commission will be considered by voters in November 2018. If approved, they would go into effect in September 2019. [Read more…]
Chuck Hope
Oak Ridge City Council member Chuck Hope, the one incumbent running for re-election in the November 8 election, has responded to the endorsements by the Progress PAC political action committee.
The Progress PAC endorsed Jim Dodson, Joe Lee, and Hans Vogel, who are all making their first runs for seats on the seven-member City Council. The endorsements were announced last week.
Hope was not endorsed. You can see his response here.
The PAC was established two years ago by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors, and it operates autonomously from the Chamber’s Board.
All six of the candidates endorsed by the Progress PAC two years ago were elected, although one candidate who wasn’t endorsed, Rick Chinn, was also elected. [Read more…]
Theresa Scott
Anderson County Commissioner Theresa Scott, who represents District 7 in Oak Ridge, is running for Charter Commission in the November 8 election.
In a press release, Scott said she thinks it is extremely important that the representation of Anderson County residents continues to be both non-partisan and knowledgeable of current government processes.
One of the proposals the Anderson County Charter Commission could consider, Scott said, is changing how the county attorney is selected, possibly making it an elected position.
In Tennessee, 91 of 95 counties appoint their county attorney, rather than electing them, Scott said. [Read more…]
Pictured above from left to right are Jim Dodson, Joe Lee, and Hans Vogel.
The Progress PAC political action committee has endorsed Jim Dodson, Joe Lee, and Hans Vogel for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election.
The endorsements were announced Wednesday.
“From a crowded field of seven outstanding city council candidates, these three most clearly met the committee’s criteria, which includes support of the mission, vision, and legislative priorities of the Oak Ridge Chamber and a willingness to work closely with the Oak Ridge Board of Education,†Progress PAC Chairman Stephen Whitson said in a press release. [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has a forum for candidates for the Anderson County Charter Commission on Tuesday morning.
It’s the first candidate forum for the November 8 election.
The Charter Commission candidate forum will start at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 20, in the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Joyce Conference Room. It’s free and open to the public.
There are 20 candidates for eight seats on the new Charter Commission. The Tuesday morning forum at the Oak Ridge Chamber will feature candidates from the county’s District 6, District 7, and District 8, which all include parts of Oak Ridge.
There are seven candidates for those three seats: [Read more…]
Oak Ridge City Council member Charlie Hensley, left, is pictured above with Kelly Callison during a meeting on Sept. 24, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Note: This story was last updated at 9:15 p.m. Aug. 24.
Oak Ridge City Council member Charlie Hensley has withdrawn as a candidate in the November 8 election, officials confirmed Tuesday.
Hensley was one of eight candidates for three seats on the seven-member Council.
The withdrawal was confirmed by the Anderson County Election Commission on Tuesday afternoon.
“This is a difficult decision but is made because I have my son’s family and two wonderful grandchildren living in the local area and with whom I want to spend more time,” Hensley said in a Tuesday statement. “Also, I want to spend time with other volunteer interests, hobbies, and related activities. Finally, there are some personal but manageable health issues that require attention.”
Hensley has served since 2007, or two terms. (Hensley served more than eight years because City Council terms were extended on a one-time basis from June 2011 to November 2012 when the dates of Oak Ridge municipal elections changed due to a revision of the City Charter that was approved by voters in November 2010.) [Read more…]
Note: This story was last updated at 1:40 p.m.
There are eight candidates who qualified to run for three seats on Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election, and three candidates qualified for two seats on Oak Ridge Board of Education. There are also 20 candidates for eight seats on a new Anderson County Charter Commission.
Here are the Oak Ridge City Council candidates (elect three):
Current City Council member Trina Baughn will not be on the ballot. Hensley and Hope are incumbents. Garcia Garland is a former Council member.
The City Council has seven members who serve staggered terms, meaning the other four seats are up for election in November 2018.
Here are the Board of Education candidates (elect two): [Read more…]
Anne Garcia Garland
She was the first to pick up a petition and the first to qualify for the 2016 ballot, and now Anne Garcia Garland, a former Oak Ridge City Council member, has formally announced her desire to serve again, a press release said. She’s running for one of three seats on the seven-member Council in the November 8 election.
In the press release, Garcia Garland said she has no business or political agenda, only a continuing desire “to be responsive and accountable to the citizens and help this city thrive.”
She said her primary goals for the city are to:
Garcia Garland said she works affably with corporate, government, and private organizations. She is active in the League of Women Voters, the American Association of University Women, United Church Chapel on the Hill, and the NAACP. Before retiring, she and her husband T.J. Garland established Noble Metals Inc., a small business that recycles metal scrap and continues to employ local workers. [Read more…]
Hans Vogel
Hans Vogel, current vice chair of the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, is running for one of three seats on the Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election.
Vogel is also a member of the Board of Directors for Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, and he is a graduate of the Leadership Oak Ridge 2015 class, a press release said.
He is also an engineer and Army veteran, according to the press release.
The release said Vogel has a strong vision for the city of Oak Ridge that centers around working together to achieve a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable community where people choose to live, work, and play.
“Oak Ridge has unlimited potential if the City Council, business community, and Department of Energy can join together with our citizens to address community priorities,” Vogel said in the release. “In order to achieve this goal, the city must have a plan.” [Read more…]
Jim Dodson is having a kickoff party and fundraiser for his campaign for Oak Ridge City Council at Razzleberry’s in Jackson Square on Tuesday, August 15. (Submitted photo)
Jim Dodson is having a kickoff party and fundraiser for his campaign for Oak Ridge City Council on Tuesday, August 15.
The kickoff will be from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, August 15, at Razzleberry’s restaurant in Jackson Square. Ridge City Ramblers, a local musical group, will perform. Those interested in showing their support or getting to know Dodson are invited to stop by, a press release said.
Dodson is a 30-year-teacher at Jefferson Middle School. He has a history of community involvement that includes United Way, Explore Oak Ridge (formerly the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau), Secret City Festival, Arts Council, and more, the press release said.
It said Dodson hopes to expand his community coalition building experience by bringing these skills to the Oak Ridge City Council. [Read more…]
Joe Lee (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Joseph “Joe†Lee, a commercial construction worker who is now a field superintendent for a project at the University of Tennessee, is running for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election.
Lee, an Oak Ridge native, announced his candidacy this month, and he said he has qualified to be on the ballot in November.
Lee is a 1970 graduate of Oak Ridge High School, and he attended Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina. He returned to his hometown in 1987 and was employed by Downtown Management Company as construction manager during the time known as “The Mall Wars,” a press release said. He met Julie Easterday there, and they were married in 1989. They now have two daughters, Lindsay and Loren.
The press release said​ Lee has worked his entire career in the commercial construction industry as either carpenter, superintendent, or construction manager. He has worked throughout the Southeast on industrial, institutional, and commercial projects, the release said. [Read more…]
