Papers filed for city council race

By Thomas Wilson
STAR STAFF
twilson@starhq.com

   A new election season has begun in Elizabethton and the State of Tennessee.
   Eight candidates have filed papers to run for Elizabethton City Council while three candidates will compete for two Elizabethton Board of Education seats in the Nov. 5 general election.
   Candidates were required to file candidacy papers with the Carter County Election Commission by noon on Thursday.
   Incumbent city councilman Pat "Red" Bowers, 1224 Thomas Blvd., is seeking his third term on the council.
   Fellow incumbents are Janie McKinney, 113 West H. St., Diane Morris, 1109 Berry Road, and Sam Shipley, 609 Barker St. All three were elected to their first terms on the council in 1998.
   Council challengers include John W. Hughes, 316 Carter Blvd., William "Don" Pectol, 2300 Edgewood Ave., and Robert A. Smalling, 607 Westwood Drive.
   Former Elizabethton city finance director Sidney Cox, 622 Ridgefield Drive, has also thrown his hat into the ring for a city council seat, submitting his papers on Thursday.
   Cox resigned as city finance director in 2000. A sitting county commissioner, he lost his re-election bid to his 7th District commission seat in the Aug. 1 county election.
   The school board race has three candidates vying for two seats.
   Incumbents Bob Berry, 1307 Circle Drive, and Catherine Armstrong, 404 East H. St., a retired city school teacher, are running for re-election.
   Challenging Berry and Armstrong is William T. Hunt, 411 East K. St.
   Armstrong was elected to her first term in 1998 while Berry will be seeking his third term.
   The last day for any city candidate to withdraw from the city election is Aug. 22.
   In addition to the city election, voters will also be selecting a new governor, state representative, state senator and U.S. senator in the state election on Nov. 5.
   The ballot will also include a statewide referendum on the creation of a state lottery.
   City residents wishing to vote in the November state and city election have until Oct. 4 to register in person at the election commission. Registration applications sent by mail to the commission must be postmarked by Oct. 5.