Seven newly elected Clarksville City Council members were sworn in Jan. 5 during a special called meeting in council chambers.
Mayor Joe Pitts gave the new members the option of taking the oath of office in person or to be sworn in via online conference, which is permitted under special pandemic-related emergency orders issued by Gov. Bill Lee.
Six newly elected council members – DaJuan Little in Ward 3; Jason Knight in Ward 5; Wanda Allen in Ward 8; Karen Reynolds in Ward 9; Ashlee Evans in Ward 11; and Trisha Butler in Ward 12 – attended the meeting and took oaths of office administered individually by Pitts. Wallace Redd in Ward 4, who recently recovered from COVID-19, chose to take the oath remotely.
Each new member was elected to a four-year term Nov. 3, except for Evans, who was elected to fill the remaining two years of an unexpired term in Ward 11.
Five members seated in 2019 each have two years remaining in their terms. They are Richard Garrett in Ward 1; Vondell Richmond in Ward 2; Wanda Smith in Ward 6; Travis Holleman in Ward 7; and Stacy Streetman in Ward 10.
After the oaths, the council dealt with one piece of formal business – selecting Garrett as mayor pro tem. Pitts nominated Redd, citing his previous service on the council and later on the Montgomery County Commission. Allen, however, objected to the nomination, suggesting several midterm members were well qualified for the role.
Richmond then offered an amendment, which nominated Garrett. The amendment was approved 9-3. Redd, Streetman and Pitts voted no, and Garrett abstained. The vote to approve Garrett was 12-0, and Garrett again abstained.
After the special meeting, the council convened its monthly executive session, the non-voting meeting where members preview and discuss the monthly agenda. The council’s regular monthly meeting will be Jan. 7 at 7 p.m.
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