from the Town
Now, the Board of Mayor and Alderman is tasked with filling David White’s vacant South Ward seat until the next election in August 2026. As of the Sept. 10 deadline, six Farragut residents had applied. Each will get to make their case for why they should be appointed at the Sept. 25 BOMA meeting.
The last time a vacant seat was filled, Ron Williams left a South Ward seat vacant when he was elected mayor in 2018. The board appointed Drew Burnette, who went on to win that seat twice by election. In 2016, Louise Povlin was appointed to fill a North Ward seat left vacant when Ron Honken moved away. Louise went on to win the seat by election twice, serving as vice mayor during her second term.
While the public won’t vote on the new aldermen, this is an important process, and anyone who cares about the Farragut community should take notice. The Board will make important decisions in the coming years, and anyone who has concerns about safety, transportation, zoning and public services should pay attention to this appointee and what they think about these issues.
The Town’s charter dictates that the appointment is made by a voice roll-call vote by the board with the mayor having two votes in the event of a tie. Last week, the board voted on a voting process that would begin with allowing each of the applicants to speak, followed by voting that ends once a nominee has three votes.
As a reminder, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen adopts Town ordinances and policies, approves comprehensive planning and zoning requirements, approves annual budgets, approves Town contracts and reviews and prioritizes capital improvement projects. The board also is responsible for the appointment of citizen committees and the Town administrator, Town attorney and municipal judge. In short, the board charts the course for the Town.
Local elections have a huge impact on communities and the next election is less than a year away. This is a good time for Farragut citizens to stay informed by signing up for agenda alerts and watching or attending board meetings. Those who are informed can correct misinformation when they hear it, which is especially important in this age of online rumor mongering.
You don’t have to run for office to be an advocate for your community, but you do have to stay engaged and understand the issues. There are few quick fixes, and anyone who claims that there are probably hasn’t done their homework. If you care about Farragut, start studying.
Sign up for agenda alerts and find the latest news from the Town of Farragut at townoffarragut.org.
