Open Aragon council seat, mayor race set for Nov. 8 with special election called
Aragon’s City Council is starting to look lonely after the death of Mayor Brenda Gazaway and the formal resignation of Council member Kevin Prewett this month.
With only three members left on the council, a special election has been called by the City of Aragon to fill the two empty seats as Curtis Burrus serves as the mayor for the time being and Prewett’s seat remains open.
It also raised a question over the future of the council and a need for an update of the city charter as Aragon gets ready to vote in November. Can Burrus run for Mayor? The problem was raised in the Aragon City Council’s work session on June 16, where Burrus sought to find out whether it would be legal for him to retain his position on the council while still running for Mayor.
Burrus, who was appointed to the position for the May meeting and has retained it with Gazaway’s death, is potentially still a council member because of his appointment earlier in the year as pro tem, and because he was re-elected in 2015 in a council post.
However, because he is serving as mayor, his question to City Attorney Vickey Atkins is this: is he an incumbent, or does he have to resign?
“This is the situation: as far as what the charter says about being able to replace a council member, back when the charter was done you can call a spe- cial election anytime,” Burrus said.
Atkins said that changes in state law have made that a moot point, and that because of the way the law is written currently in the 2010 annotated code it only allows for special elections to be held at certain times of the year, on dates in March, June, September or November in odd numbered years, and in March, during a general statewide primary, September or November in even numbered years.
She also said she has asked the Georgia Municipal Association’s legal counsel for advice on this particular point.
Should Burrus have to resign to run for the position of Mayor that he holds by the council’s appointment, it would leave Mayor Pro Tem Duel Mitchell as the mayor, and new council member Tammy Mulkey as the final two left to handle city business.
The danger of the situation, Burrus pointed out, was if any major issue came up that caused a split vote it would be left un-handled until the seats could be filled. It would also leave the council in a position to simply approve with only a pair of votes any issue that could come before the city.
In the meantime, Aragon voters will get to choose who they want for office during the Nov. 8 election with the city calling for the ballot last week.
The two seats will be open for qualifying from June 27 through July 1 by filling out paperwork and paying fees to the Polk County Board of Elections, located at 144 West Ave., Cedartown, between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 27 through June 30, and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on July 1.
Qualifying fees are $72 to run for mayor, and $36 to run for the city council seat.
The other qualifying conditions can be found in a copy of the city charter, located at Aragon City Hall, which can be viewed during business hours.
The city formally accepted Prewett’s resignation during the June council meeting following the announcement he would give up his seat pending the sale of his house within the city limits.
He was wrapping up the move to Cartersville last week, and stopped by to turn in his copy of the City Charter and to make the paperwork official on his stepping down.
“I want to thank the citizens of Aragon for giving me the opportunity to serve,” Prewett said before he left to finish packing.