Friday, July 12, 2002

Fairburn sets special election to fill vacancy

By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

Fairburn residents will head to the polls Sept. 17 to elect a new councilman.

The city found itself short one councilman when Gene Wiggins submitted his letter of resignation April 15.

Monday night, the City Council set the election date, and also established the qualifying period as Aug. 12-14.

City attorney Brad Sears said whoever wins the race will have to turn around and run again in 2003, when Wiggins' term was set to expire.

The City Council also established city clerk Nancy Faulkner as the election superintendent.

Faulkner said the September election would probably be the last for paper ballots in the city.

"The state is going to electronic voting, but we won't have that ready for the special election," she said.

She added that an electronic machine will be on display during the election for voters to view and see how it operates.