Board fills key Farragut roles
With new members on board, the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen addressed several housekeeping items to get the new administration underway, starting with the selection of a vice mayor during its meeting Thursday, Sept. 10.
The Board chose Alderman Greg Wiberley to fill that role. According to state law, Wiberley “shall serve as mayor when the mayor is absent or unable to discharge the duties of the mayor’s office, and in case of a vacancy in the office of mayor, until the next regular municipal election.”
Town administrator David Smoak explained how that provision has previously affected Farragut.
“If the mayor is incapacitated and unable to perform his duties, the vice mayor will take on the role of the mayor until the next regular municipal election,” Smoak said.
“This has come up one time previously in Farragut when Mayor [Ralph] McGill passed away near the end of his term in 2018 and then-Vice Mayor Ron Pinchok was sworn in as mayor for a couple of months until the election in August of that year,” the administrator added.
In addition to the vice mayor selection, Mayor Alex Cain appointed Angel Ray, Michael Wilson and John Tague to fill vacancies on the Farragut Municipal Planning Commission. Cain, as mayor, and Wiberley, who was chosen to serve as the Board’s representative, also will sit on the Commission.
“Tennessee Code Annotated 13-4-101(a)(1) provides the process by which Municipal Planning Commissions are appointed,” Smoak said. “Specifically, the statute states, ‘The chief legislative body of any municipality ... may create and establish a Municipal Planning Commission.’ It goes on to state, ‘One of the members shall be the mayor of the municipality or a person designated by the mayor, and one of the members shall be a member of the chief legislative body of the municipality selected by that body. All other members shall be appointed by such mayor, except as otherwise provided in subsection (b).’
“There are currently three vacancies on the MPC and Mayor Cain will appoint members to serve for one- and/or two-year terms,” Smoak added.
Meanwhile, applicants are being sought to fill the North Ward alderman seat vacated when Cain was elected mayor.
According to the Town’s website, “The person chosen will serve until the next municipal election in August 2028, when the seat will be up for election as outlined in the Town charter.” Applications must be submitted by noon Friday, Sept. 18.
After receiving the applications, the Board will deliberate and vote on which applicant will fill the alderman seat.
“To be eligible for the office of alderman, a person must reside within the desired ward for at least one year preceding the election; be a registered voter in the Town of Farragut, specifically in the North Ward; not currently holding any other incompatible public office under Tennessee law; and must disclose any financial, employment or personal conflicts of interest that could affect Board service,” the website stated.
In other business,
the Board:
• Approved an amendment to the Capital Improvement Fund, transferring $40,000 from the CIP available fund balance to fiscal year 2027 CIP expenditures for the Everett Road greenway connector project. The project bid came in higher than originally budgeted.
• Approved the appointment of Sohini Patel, a pharmacist, as the Farragut Intermediate School representative on the Town’s Education Relations Committee. Patel has children in the school system.
• Presented annual donations of $27,000 each to Farragut Primary, Farragut Intermediate, Farragut Middle and Farragut High schools, as well as $15,000 to the FHS Education Foundation.
• Discussed but took no action on future executive sessions concerning legal matters or future workshops on the history and process of the new Comprehensive Land Use Plan update. Board members agreed both discussions could wait until November, after a new North Ward alderman is chosen.
