Mayoral races are contested in Smithville, Liberty, and Alexandria in the August 2 elections.

Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss is seeking his 3rd term but he faces a challenge from Josh Miller, who currently serves as alderman. Curtis Rust, a political newcomer is also in the race to unseat Mayor Poss. Poss was first elected to a two year term in 2012 and then to a four year term in 2014. Miller is in his second term as alderman having served in that role since 2013.

Incumbent alderman and local attorney Gayla Hendrix and Brandon Cox, another local attorney and political newcomer, are unopposed for the two alderman seats up for election.

The terms for mayor and aldermen are each for four years.

Meanwhile a mayor and five aldermen will be elected in Liberty on August 2.

Incumbent Liberty Mayor Dwight Mathis will be seeking re-election to a second term but Darrell W. Johnson will be trying to unseat him. Mathis has served as mayor since 2013.

The alderman candidates, Dwayne Blair, J.D. Bratten, Derek Johnson, Jason H. Ray, and William Howard Reynolds, Jr., are all running unopposed.

The terms for Liberty Mayor and Aldermen are for four years.

Three aldermen are to be elected in Dowelltown on August 2 but only one candidate qualified, Ronald L. Griffith. The terms are for four years.

The Alexandria Mayor’s race will be contested on Thursday, August 2 during the Municipal Election although voters will find no name on the ballot.

Incumbent Mayor Bennett Armstrong will be seeking re-election to a second term but this time he is running a write-in campaign. He will face a challenge from Donna Davis, who is also a write-in candidate for mayor.

The term of office is four years.

Meanwhile three aldermen are also to be elected in Alexandria but only one name for alderman appears on the ballot, Lloyd Dale Dyer. Two other persons will be mounting a write-in campaign for alderman including Shane Blair, an incumbent, for a full four-year term and Bridgette Rogers, for a two-year term that fills a vacancy.

Early voting for the August 2 elections began Friday.

A total of 757 have cast ballots in the County General Election (Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday combined)

Of the 757 total, 416 voted in the State Republican Primary and 257 in the State Democratic Primary. Eighty three chose not to vote in either primary just the County General.

Early voting runs Mondays through Saturdays and ends Saturday, July 28. Election Day is Thursday, Aug. 2.

Voting will be conducted on the first floor of the DeKalb County Courthouse.

The times are as follows:

Mondays—1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesdays—9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wednesdays—9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursdays—2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Fridays—9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturdays—9 a.m. to noon.

“We expect major races to create lots of interest this election cycle as Tennesseans decide who will represent them across all levels of government. I urge voters to take advantage of early voting and use our free GoVoteTN app to know exactly when and where to vote,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett.

Voters can download the GoVoteTN app, available in the App Store or Google Play, to view voter-specific information. Voters can find early voting and Election Day polling locations, view and mark sample ballots and much more. The platform is also available at GoVoteTN.com.

“Polling locations and times can vary during early voting and on Election Day so it is important to verify information with your county election commission through our app,” Sec. Hargett said.

State law requires polling locations and the area within a 100-foot boundary surrounding each entrance remain campaign-free zones. Tennessee law prohibits the display or distribution of campaign materials and the solicitation of votes for or against any person, party or question on the ballot in these areas.

Tennesseans voting early or on Election Day should remember to bring valid photo identification with them to the polls. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security as well as photo IDs issued by Tennessee state government or the federal government are acceptable even if they are expired. College student IDs are not acceptable.

More information about what types of ID are acceptable can be found here: What ID is required when voting? or by calling toll free 1-877-850-4959.

The Board of Education is proposing a new way to fund local pay raises for teachers and support staff.

Concerned that the school system might run over budget this year, the board is asking the county commission to allocate a larger share of local option sales tax money for schools to fund the raises. Otherwise, the board might have to opt for giving bonuses instead of raises.

The school board discussed the issue during a work session and then voted to make the request during the regular meeting that followed Thursday night.

“I would like to make a motion that we give Mr. (Patrick) Cripps the opportunity to ask the county commission if they will let us accept the budget and take it (funds for pay raises) out of the sinking fund (local option sales tax) instead of fund balance (reserves) so that we can make it a permanent raise,” said First District Member Danny Parkerson.

“When the county commission (budget committee) approved our budget with our raises (last month) it was with a condition that the money for the raises would come out of our reserves so what he (Mr. Parkerson) is requesting is that it come out of our local option sales tax dollars. We cannot sustain a raise out of our reserves (long term). It would deplete our reserves,” said Director of Schools Patrick Cripps.

Seventh district member Shaun Tubbs offered a second to Parkerson’s motion and the other three members present voted in favor including Kate Miller, Jerry Wayne Johnson, and Chairman W.J. (Dub) Evins, III.

Under the proposed school budget, all certified personnel including teachers would be given a $600 local pay raise in addition to the $600 increase they are getting from the state for a total of $1,200. Support staff would also get a local $600 pay hike.

The school board initially wanted to give teachers and other certified personnel a $2,400 local pay raise along with the $600 state increase and $1,500 for support staff but the budget committee of the county commission rejected it on May 31 along with other extra spending proposals included in the original school budget for 2018-19.

Last month, the budget committee accepted the school board’s scaled down proposal but with the understanding that there would be no local tax increase to pay for it and that any overspending would have to be covered by cash reserves from the school system’s fund balance.

Director Cripps said the proposed pay raises would be an additional cost to the school system of from $300,000 to $400,000 per year. However the system will be saving about $200,000 this year by not filling four vacant teaching positions at the schools according to Cripps.

The county generates almost $2.5 million each year in local option sales tax funds (referred to as sinking fund). Of that, the county transfers $1,540,000 each year for the operation of schools along with $870,540 for school debt service obligations. The so-called sinking fund replenishes each year from local option sales tax collections in the county and four cities. The fund was set up decades ago by the county and intended to help fund school construction and other school capital outlay projects.

The City of Smithville is legally obligated to turn over to the county 50% of it’s local option sales tax collections for education purposes, but since 1968 the city, by agreement with the county, has been contributing more than it’s share at 66 and 2/3%. That agreement was renewed for 30 years in 2007 after the local option sales tax increased by public referendum from 1.5% to 2.75%.

The proposed general purpose school budget for 2018-19 now totals more than $23-million dollars with estimated expenditures to exceed revenues by $1,190,198. But budget projections can be deceiving.

While the school system ended the year 2014 in the red by $253,836, it was back in the black by $144,159 at the close of the 2015 budget year; by $153,335 in 2016; and by $1,052,912 in 2017 putting the fund balance or cash reserves for schools at $6.1 million. The school budget is projected to close out the 2018 year in the red by $886,937 but actual numbers are not yet known.

The county commission is expected to consider passage of budgets for all county departments including schools at the next regular meeting on Monday, July 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the courthouse.

In other business, Director Cripps updated the school board on personnel moves Thursday night.

Shelly Jared has been employed as a bookkeeper at the central office.

The following have resigned:

Renee Beaty, teacher at Smithville Elementary School
Justin Burum, teacher at DCHS
Andrew Cook, teacher
Tena Davidson, teacher at DeKalb Middle School
Jason Farley, teacher at DeKalb Middle School
Amy Fox, teacher at Smithville Elementary School
Jennifer Hawkins, teacher at Smithville Elementary School
Kathy Malone, custodian at DeKalb West School
Emily Phillips, teacher at DeKalb Middle and DeKalb West School
Lauri Sweeney, teacher at DeKalb Middle School
Carol Swope, EA and bus driver
Jared West, teacher at Northside Elementary School.