Hayes named Burns vice mayor after commission debates selection process

Burns officials could not agree Monday night on the process for selecting a vice mayor for the Board of Commissioners. Mayor Landon Mathis said the position is not addressed in the town’s charter and the selection of a vice mayor has apparently been handled a variety of ways by past administrations. Former Mayor Shot Grove, now a commissioner, said in the past the vice mayor was nominated by the mayor and elected by the commission. Commissioner Chris Holland said past practice also has included naming the commissioner who received the most votes in the most recent election as the vice mayor. Since the position is not specified in the town charter, Mathis said he believes the choice should be the mayor’s exclusively. Mathis said Commissioner Steven Hayes has been serving as vice mayor during the last term and he would like to see him continue in that position. In the November election, Holland received 288 votes to 280 for newcomer Bill Allen, 258 for Hayes and 256 for Grove. Mathis asked for a motion to name Hayes vice mayor, which was presented by Allen. But when neither Holland or Grove would offer a second, Hayes seconded his own nomination and then voted for himself as the motion passed 3-2 with Mathis casting the deciding vote. Attorney Tim Potter said addressing the position of vice mayor in the town’s charter would require a resolution by the commission to be presented to the Tennessee General Assembly for approval of a private act that would then come back to the commission for ratification before it can be amended. In other appointments approved Monday night, Potter was named town attorney and David Brogdan remains municipal court judge. Greg Hogin, Bob Miller, Robbie Street, Valton Potter and Sammy Spann were named to the planning commission and Jerry Peterson, Lewis Orcutt, Jim Anderson and Terry Dudley were named to the board of zoning appeals with one more position to be filled.