The Starkville Board of Aldermen will consider making numerous appointments to city entities with vacancies and expiring terms Tuesday.
Four applicants are vying for three Starkville Parks Commission seats, while three residents are looking for positions on the five-person Municipal Election Committee. The city also received one application each for the Starkville Planning and Zoning Commission and Historic Preservation Commission.
An influx of new SPC representation was guaranteed when members Scott Maynard and Chris Taylor submitted their letters of resignation to the city earlier this week.
Maynard, the incoming Ward 5 alderman, must relinquish his position as he moves to the main city board, while Taylor cited time requirements for other area boards as his reason for leaving SPC. Taylor, who resides in Ward 7, holds leadership positions with the Oktibbeha County Democratic Party and the
local NAACP chapter.
Ward 6 Parks representative Dorothy Isaac’s term expires June 30, but she announced her desire to rejoin the board in a letter to the city.
Three others, Ward 5 resident LeKesha Perry, Ward 7 resident Betty Robertson and Trotter Lane resident Jane Loveless, also penned letters expressing their desires to serve on the Parks Commission.
City officials said it appeared Loveless’ residence falls within Ward 6.
The Ward 5 term expires next year, while the Ward 7 commissioner would roll off the board in 2017.
Wholesale representation changes will also occur with the Municipal Election Commission July 1 when terms for each member of its five-person board expire. So far, the city has received only three letters of interest for the expiring positions from residents Nancy Walsh, Julia Williams and Desmond Carson.
The city also received a letter of interest from resident William Michael Brooks for a Starkville Planning and Zoning Commission seat soon to be vacated by incoming Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker. His term expires in 2015.
The incoming board of aldermen will also have to deal with numerous other commission vacancies. All three Storm Water Hearing Board seats and three Historic Preservation Committee seats expire July 1, while a Starkville Board of Adjustments and Appeals Ward 3 seat remains vacant. Aldermen must
name new liaisons for the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum, transportation, tree advisory and storm water boards, as well as the HPC and SPC when terms expire for Ward 3 Alderman Eric Parker, Ward 4 Alderman Richard Corey and Ward 5 Alderman Jeremiah Dumas.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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