Lowndes County supervisors Monday will discuss appointing a judge in place of District 2 Justice Court Judge Mike Arledge, who resigned to run for county sheriff.
The supervisors plan to announce for and begin taking applications for the position on Monday.
“(Arledge) had to resign his position because he was running for sheriff,” said Lowndes County Administrator Ralph Billingsley.
The appointed candidate may fill the seat until the end of the year. Or, said Billingsley, supervisors may ask the winner of the November election to swear in and begin his duties soon thereafter.
Three men have qualified to run for the full District 2 judgeship term, which begins in 2012 — Mississippi Highway Patrol and Mississippi Department of Corrections retiree Wyatt Mills, Lowndes County Circuit Court bailiff and Army veteran Ted Richards and former justice court judge Ron Cooke, who ran unsuccessfully in 2009 to fill the remaining term of the deceased District 1 Justice Court Judge Phillip Robertson.
Also on the agenda for the Lowndes County supervisors is the county”s plans for redistricting.
Lowndes County”s population dropped from about 61,586 in 2000 to 59,658 in 2009, down 1,928 people. Supervisor districts are developed to have an equal population in each district. The U.S. Justice Department also ensures the redistricting is fair to minorities.
Bridge and Watson will present their districting proposal to the board Monday.
“They”ve got a proposed plan to cover with the supervisors,” Billingsley said. “The supervisors will comment on it, and they can move things around if they want to.”
Mississippi”s census figures were released last month, and little has been done in Lowndes County to redraw district lines.
Supervisor Leroy Brooks is hoping to expedite the process; he is concerned that if the supervisor candidates run for election under the current district borders, they will have to run again, under the new ones.
A secretary of state”s office spokeswoman said another election is possible if supervisors run under the old lines, but it is too soon to know definitively.
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