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Filing begins for council seats
By BRIAN PORTER/Managing Editor
A year ago, the election season was boring. No opposition was found for four council seats and the city’s only contested race was for a Mesquite ISD board of trustees place in which the challenger said he was running simply to give people a choice.
That was a year ago. It was before two alcohol-related propositions placed on the November ballot resulted in the city’s highest voter turnout of all time.
That election seemed to awaken the voting public. Then a change took place on city council when Mike Anderson resigned after 10 years serving as mayor and earlier this year David Paschal also resigned his Place 4 seat to take effect in May. Anderson was the second-longest tenured mayor in the history of the city. Paschal had served as the second-longest tenured active member of council, first earning his seat in 1998.
The mayor’s post is expected to be decided among two current members of city council and a former members of council. John Monaco, who had served on the council since 2001, was named mayor by the council shortly after Anderson’s departure. John Heiman Jr., the longest tenured active member of council serving since 1991, has filed to oppose Monaco. James Folks, a member of city council from 1994 to 2002, has picked up a packet but has yet to file for the seat.
Monaco left his Place 2 post open upon being named mayor. It could be a seat sought by as many as four people. Bill Metzger has filed for the seat. Joe Hicks Jr, a member of city council from 1987 to 1989, has picked up a packet but has yet to file. Charles Flanery and Al Forsythe have also picked up packets but have yet to file and give Metzger opposition.
Stan Pickett, a member of council since 2004, has yet to draw opposition for his Place 3 seat. Laura Beth Hammons, an activist in the Edgemont Park community and during the beer and wine election, has picked up a packet but has yet to file for the seat.
There have been four persons to file for the Place 4 seat held by Paschal, who has indicated he will not seek reelection. Greg Noschese, the chair of the Save Our Stores committee in support of the November alcohol sales propositions, has filed. Carole Lochhead, a former member of council from 1989 to 2003, has also filed for the seat. Rachel Lopez, an organizer of the Hispanic Forum of Mesquite, has also filed, along with Dan Aleman Jr., a pastor.
Shirley Roberts, a member of council since 2002, is the incumbent in Place 5. She has filed for reelection. Michael Dougan has filed to oppose Roberts.
Bob Braddock and Carlos Zamora have picked up packets, but have not filed. It is unclear which seat they may seek, should they file.
The last day to file for the May election is March 17.
E-mail Brian Porter at bporter@acnpapers.com or comment on this story at www.scntx.com.
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