By Bill Short
With 11 candidates seeking eight positions on the ballot, the Nov. 6 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.
Aldermen Bethany Huffman, Al Bell and Larry Dagen are unopposed for re-election to Positions 1,2 and 4, respectively.
Jon Crisp is the candidate for the Position 3 seat occupied by Alderman Frankie Dakin, who is not seeking re-election.
School Board Chairman C. J. Haley is being challenged by Marlon D. Evans for Position 2, while Position 4 board member Cody Childress is unopposed.
Former board member Donald Holsinger is seeking the Position 5 seat currently occupied by Barbara Halliburton, while Position 6 board member Larry Jackson is being challenged by Austin Brewer.
Childress, Dagen, Haley and Huffman are in their second terms, while Bell and Jackson are serving their first ones.
On Feb. 12, the Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen appointed Halliburton to fill the vacancy created in school board Position 5 by Ronnie Mackin’s resignation.
Mackin was elected to a four-year term in November 2016. But he resigned on Feb. 1 to open an insurance agency in Sevierville.
Halliburton is serving in the position until the Nov. 6 election. Then, the winner of that election will serve during the remainder of Mackin’s unexpired term, which ends on Dec. 1, 2020.
John Crisp 
Larry Dagen
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. Board members occupying the even-numbered positions were elected to four-year terms in November 2014.
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 will save 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.
On Nov. 8, 2016, alderman positions 1-4 were up for re-election to a two-year term and positions 5-7 for a four-year term.
This year, the first four positions are up for re-election to a four-year term, and the remaining three will be in 2020.
The mayor’s position will continue to be up for re-election every four years.
