By Bill Short
With 11 candidates seeking eight positions on the ballot, the Nov. 3 Millington city elections will feature only three contested races.
The candidates filed their qualifying petitions before the deadline at noon last Thursday in the Shelby County Election Commission Office.
Mayor Terry Jones is unopposed for re-election to a fourth term.
Aldermen Thomas McGhee and Don Lowry are unopposed for re-election to Positions 5 and 6, respectively.
Position 7 Alderman Mike Caruthers is being challenged by Tom Stephens.
With Position 1 School Board member Roger Christopher not seeking re-election, Marlon D. Evans and Gregory L. Ritter are competing for the open seat.
Position 3 member Mark Coulter is being challenged by Deanna Speight.
Barbara Halliburton and Chris Denson are unopposed for re-election to Positions 5 and 7, respectively.
In February 2018, the Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen appointed Halliburton to fill the vacancy created in school board Position 5 by the resignation of Ronnie Mackin.
Halliburton was elected in November 2018 to serve during the remainder of Mackin’s unexpired term, which ends on Dec. 1.
In November 2013, the successful candidates for school board positions 2, 4 and 6 were initially elected to one-year terms, while those for positions 1, 3, 5 and 7 won three-year terms.
The odd-numbered positions were up for re-election to four-year terms in 2016, and the even-numbered positions in 2014 and 2018.
In April 2016, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Tennessee General Assembly approved amendments to the Millington City Charter that changed the date of the city elections and established staggered terms for the aldermen.
The elections had previously been conducted on the first Thursday in August every four years. But they are now scheduled every two years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November to coincide with the federal and state general elections.
City Attorney Gerald Lawson has said this saves money by eliminating a runoff election. So, in races with more than two candidates, the one who receives a plurality of the votes cast will be declared the winner.
In 2016, alderman positions 1-4 were up for re-election to a two-year and positions 5-7 to a four-year term. The first four positions were up for re-election to a four-year term in 2018.
The mayor’s position will continue to be up for re-election every four years
