Qualifying starts today for town races

Qualifying papers are available today for city elections across Warren County as all four incorporated townships will have elections on the same day. ‘As far as I can recall, this will be the first time all four incorporated entities, that being McMinnville, Centertown, Viola and Morrison, had their municipal elections on the same day,’ said election administrator Donna Yates of election day Nov. 4. ‘Prior to just a few years ago, the towns were having their elections on separate days, some in December. Now they have all decided to set them on the same day, which this year will coincide with the presidential and state elections.’ In the city of McMinnville, the office of mayor, held by incumbent Royce Davenport, will be up for election along with the three aldermanic spots currently held by Patti Nunley, Rick Barnes and Donald Hillis. The seats held by Billy Wood, Bobby Kirby and Jimmy Haley will not be up again until 2010. According to Yates, qualifying papers for the McMinnville elections, as well as elections for the other incorporated cities in Warren County, will be available until Aug. 17. On that day, qualifying petitions must be submitted to the election office by noon to make deadline. To qualify, a person must reside in the city in which he or she is running and must obtain signatures on their petition of 25 registered voters who are registered to vote in the city in which they are running. In Centertown, the nation’s oldest municipal leader, Mayor Arthur Lorance, 99, will be up for election, along with Aldermen Robert O. Jones and Paul Holder. In Viola, Mayor Kevin Lawrence will be up for election along with his entire board of aldermen including William S. Ramsey, Angela L. Prater, Carl G. Bouldin, Jerry Rutledge and Michael Garrison. In Morrison, there are three aldermanic spots up for election including those held by Travis Battles, Sue Anderson and Mary Jarrell. Yates pointed out the city elections are likely to have good turnouts since they coincide with the U.S. Presidential elections, which generally draw some of the largest voter numbers. In addition to president, Warren County will be voting for its state senator and state house representatives, as well as its U.S. Congressman.