7 seeking Maumelle council's vacancy

Aldermen to vote at 1st ’15 meeting

Seven residents applied for a vacancy on the Maumelle City Council that is scheduled to be filled at the council's first 2015 meeting on Monday.

The Ward 4 Position 1 seat became open when Caleb Norris resigned as alderman Dec. 15 after being elected Maumelle city attorney in the November general election. Norris had two years remaining in his four-year term as alderman.

The Ward 4 applicants include: David Gershner, an attorney with the Davidson Law Firm in Little Rock; Jonathan Thames, market communications manager for AT&T's Arkansas-Oklahoma retail region; Andrew Tullos, chemical and irrigation manager for sales at Pugh's Earthworks in Maumelle; John Vaprezsan, senior pastor at Freedom Baptist Church in the neighboring Morgan community; George Wilken, retired science and operations officer for the National Weather Service in North Little Rock; and Kacey Ziegler, an attorney with the Nash Law Firm in Maumelle.

The remaining applicant is outgoing Ward 4 Position 2 Alderman Jan Hogue, whose term ended Wednesday after she didn't file for re-election during the Nov. 4 election campaign. Hogue was elected to the Position 1 seat in 2004 and was unopposed in the 2008 election. In September 2011, the City Council voted to allow Hogue to move into the Position 2 seat to serve the remaining three years of that term after former Alderman Brenton Witonski resigned.

Steve Ibbotson was appointed by the council in October 2011 to fill Hogue's former position. Norris defeated Ibbotson in the 2012 election.

Maumelle aldermen make $6,000 a year.

Applications to replace Norris were due Tuesday. The list of names was released Wednesday as part of the council agenda.

Ward 4 is the north-northeast section of Maumelle.

Norris, Mayor Mike Watson, and Aldermen Ken Saunders, Rick Anderson, Marion Scott and Jessie Holt will participate in a swearing-in ceremony immediately before Monday's 6 p.m. meeting. The council will then convene, interview the Ward 4 applicants and vote to fill the vacancy, followed by a swearing-in of that alderman, Watson has said.

Metro on 01/03/2015

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