30 candidates vying for open city seat

James Mayse, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·3 min read

May 13—Owensboro City Commissioners will interview applicants for the commission's open seat over two nights beginning Monday.

The interviews are spread over two nights Monday and Tuesday, because the city received 30 applications from people interested in filling the seat.

The seat became vacant last month after the death of Commissioner Larry Maglinger.

Whoever is selected at the end of the process Tuesday night will have to run for reelection in November beyond the end of the year.

The applicants are: Gregory Lee Baize Sr.; Rafe Buckner; Jeremy Sean Camron; Sharon Castle; DeMarcus Curry; Jerry Ray Davis; Caleb Farkas; Deborah S. Fillman; David Fleischmann; Jim Tony Fulkerson; Andy Gamblin; James H. Glenn Jr.; Tyler Goad; Reggie Helm; Jim Ivey; Michael Johnson; Larry "Curtis" Maglinger Jr.; Robert Morris; Sharon NeSmith; William T. Pogue Jr.; Terry Pollard; Paul Elliott Puckett Jr.; Jared Revlett; Tyler Sagardoy; Jeff Sanford; Thomas Troost; Ronald Jason Velotta; Andrea "Nikie" Walker; Gordon Wilcher and Titus Willis.

The list includes three former city commissioners: Glenn, Sanford and Velotta. Johnson was a member of the Owensboro Board of Education. Glenn was a state representative after leaving the city commission.

All of the applicants will have a brief chance to express their views when the are questioned by commissioners Monday and Tuesday

City Manager Nate Pagan said commissioners will meet to interview 18 of the applicants Monday in special session, and will interview the remaining 12 on Tuesday.

Monday's special session begins at 5 p.m. at City Hall, and the second group of applicants will be interviewed beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, after the city's regular commission meeting.

Mayor Tom Watson said, "it would be just too many people to do all at one time. What we'll probably do is come to a consensus on the first group, and then bring that person back with the second group."

Pagan said the applicants will be randomly assigned for interviews. Each will be asked four questions, with two minutes to answer each question, Pagan said.

Commissioners will go into closed session both nights after the interviews. After Tuesday's closed session, commissioners will vote to select a person to fill the seat.

According to state law, government bodies can go into closed sessions for certain reasons, including "discussions which might lead to the appointment, discipline or dismissal of an individual employee, member or student, without restricting that employee, member or student's right to a public hearing, if requested."

Commissioners Bob Glenn and Pam Smith-Wright, and Watson, previously expressed discomfort about having to deliberate about the candidates in open session.

City commissioners are not city employees, but Pagan said "they are considered members," so discussions of a new appointment can be held in closed session.

City Attorney Mark Pfeifer said state law defines "member" as "a member of a governing body of a public agency."

"A city council (member) would be a 'member,' " Pfeifer said.

City commissioners may go into closed session after Monday's interviews, but won't vote until after all the candidates have been interviewed Tuesday.

"It's cumbersome, because you're going to have an election anyway," in November, Pfeifer said.

Daviess County Clerk Leslie McCarty said Friday no one has filed to run for the city commission election yet.

"No one has filed, but people have asked," McCarty said. "There has been one person interested in actually filing."

The filing deadline for the seat is June 6.