Petitions are available for Brookhaven School District Board of Trustees open slot

Published 9:34 pm Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Petitions for an upcoming vacant seat on the Brookhaven School District’s Board of Trustees are available from the Lincoln County Circuit Clerk’s office.

Completed and notarized petitions will be accepted from Aug. 9 through Sept. 8, said Lincoln County Circuit Clerk Dustin Bairfield.

A special election will be held Nov. 7 for the at-large seat, currently held by Erin Smith.

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Smith, who was president of the board last term, is in her fifth term as a trustee. Trustees serve five-year terms.

Petitioners must be  residents of the Brookhaven School District who reside outside the corporate limits of the city of Brookhaven.

The first page of the petition must be filled out in the presence of a notary public certifying that the petitioner is a qualified elector of the Brookhaven School District living outside the city limits, Bairfield said.

Each petitioner must gather at least 50 signatures of registered voters who also reside within the school district but outside the city limits.

The petition should be returned to the Lincoln County Election Commission by Sept. 8 at 5 p.m.

The Board of Trustees consists of five members, three of whom are appointed by the mayor and Brookhaven Board of Aldermen and two of whom are elected by the people who live outside the corporate limits.

Besides Smith, the current board is Chairman Pat Lowery, Vice Chairman Willie Harrison, Secretary Lucy Shell and member James Tillman. The board rotates positions at the end of each school year.

Smith and Shell are the two at-large members.

Smith intends to run for the office again.