Council welcomes newest members
Clay Crumbliss joined the Signal Mountain Town Council following last week’s municipal election, in which council members Vicki Anderson and Elizabeth Baker were re-elected in the uncontested race.
Town residents could vote for up to three candidates to fill the three open slots on the council. Crumbliss received the highest number of votes with 2,734, followed by Baker’s 2,607 and Anderson’s 2,528.
“It is an incredible honor to be able to serve again on the Signal Mountain Town Council,” Anderson said by phone. “I believe local government has the largest capacity to support citizens and make changes for the better in our communities, and I look forward to continuing to work with citizens to solve problems when they happen.”
Anderson looks forward to serving on the new citizens’ advisory committee tasked with improving the town’s recycling program, she said.
“That is something that is very close to my heart,” Anderson said. “I believe that we have to protect the environment.”
Anderson was elected to serve a two-year term on the council in 2020 and Baker was appointed to the council in 2021 after former Mayor Dan Landrum stepped down from the board.
Councilors chose Charlie Poss, who has served as the town’s mayor since he was elected to the council in 2020, to continue in the role.
“Mayor Poss has done an incredible job as mayor, and he has been able to be forward-minded and considerate of citizens and of the council,” Anderson said, as to why she thinks Poss is the best person to serve as mayor. “He also worked
very diligently to help find a new town manager, and I was very grateful for that.”
Elizabeth Baker was named the new vice mayor.
“Ms. Baker has been an amazing asset to our Town Council, and she has worked very hard and been able to have some really new and innovative ideas for the council, so I think it’ll be a great thing to have her serve as our vice mayor,” Anderson said of Baker during the meeting.
Councilman Andrew Gardner agreed.
“Elizabeth does a lot of work behind the scenes that people don’t know about, and I think she’ll be a great vice mayor,” he said at the meeting.
In her next four years on the council, Baker would like to see more in-depth strategic planning, she said by email.
“The council started a strategic plan last year, and now with a permanent town manager, we can begin to build the plan with attainable steps, projects and measurable goals,” Baker said. “A good strategic plan will encompass many topics that I believe are important: a long-term capital improvement plan, processes to identify transparent operating procedures and standards to increase citizen engagement, to name a few.”
Baker also is committed to working toward a pay scale solution to ensure all town staff positions have competitive, equitable pay, she said.
Poss and Crumbliss could not be reached for comment.