Elections board rejects challenge of Hughes candidacy
There will be only one mayoral candidate in the City of Aragon on this year’s ballot following the rejection of a challenge made against Melisa Hughes to the Board of Elections.
The board decided unanimously during their Aug. 26 session following a hearing to determine whether or not the Hughes’ residency requirements were met, which Hughes had plenty of paperwork to back up.
She said the whole issue came up when she switched the garbage service her family uses from her husband’s name to her own, which then showed service starting on Nov. 30. The city charter requires that mayoral candidates be a resident for one year from the date of the general election.
Hughes presented the board with a letter the city sent about past due garbage service in October, plus furnished invoices from several different utilities proving that she and her family resided at her house on Walnut Street for many months prior to the city’s change of address.
They had previously lived at a Burton Drive address in Rockmart, but moved in June 2015 to the Walnut Street address in Aragon after extensive renovations were completed following a fire in January 2014, when they were originally expected to take over.
Once the renovations were done, Hughes explained, they moved in and turned their old Burton Drive home into rental property.
Hughes said now their son resides there and pays rent, though utilities remain in their name though their son pays those bills.
She called the challenge “ridiculous.”
“We’re here based off a change of address on a garbage bill,” she said. “I find this a complete waste of time, and I think we all have better things to do including the City of Aragon.”
Following the death of acting Mayor Curtis Burrus earlier this month, Hughes will be the only candidate to appear on the ballot for the coming job of mayor and unless her candidacy is challenged again for another reason will take on the role in January 2017.