Aldermen Will Meet Thursday To Schedule Special Election

WATER VALLEY – A special city board meeting is scheduled Thursday afternoon at 3:45 to set the election date for the alderman-at-large  position after Donald Gray was elected mayor last week. Gray currently serves as alderman-at-large and will vacate the position to serve in the city’s top elected position.  Gray was among four candidates who campaigned for the mayor after Larry Hart stepped down last November

So far two candidates have reported they plan to run for alderman-at-large – Taylor Trusty and Herbie Rogers. Trusty currently is midway through his third  term  on the school board. Rogers works at Ajinomoto Windsor Foods and first responder and the county’s Deputy Emergency Management Director. Rogers ran unsuccessfully for mayor in May and in the special election last month.

Other mayoral candidates  in the special election Terry Rockette and Mickey Howley were non-committal about running for the at-large position.

“I haven’t made a decision on running for that position,” Rockette told the Herald Monday. Rockette also said that almost a year of campaigning, starting last March, has been a lengthy and exhausting process.

Reached Monday, Howley said it was  to soon to make a decision. 

Candidates will run as independents in the non-partisan special election.

Candidates can start qualifying after aldermen set the election date at Thursday’s meeting. Qualifying will continue until 20 days prior to the election. In order to qualify, a candidate must get 50 signatures from registered voters inside the city limits on a petition for the special election.  Aldermen are expected to use the county-owned precinct scanners, just as in the last special elections for mayor. 

The special elections for mayor held on Dec. 19 and Jan. 9 cost just under two grand each –  $320 for polls workers, $444 to print ballots and $1,200 to program the voting machines.