Article Options

Marion council seat still empty

By Codell Rodriguez, The Southern

Sunday, September 23, 2007 12:23 AM CDT

MARION - In a special meeting of the Marion City Council, the mayor and the commissioners revealed their picks to fill the fifth commissioner spot but hit an impasse.

The special meeting was called after a failure to pick a new city commissioner to replace Bob Boyt at last Monday's city council meeting. While they all agreed they wanted to fill the position, they couldn't agree on who would fill it. Mayor Bob Butler and Jay Rix agreed that the best man for the job was John Goss, a retired appliance dealer who spent about 25 years with the Williamson County Building Commission.

"He knows the community as well, if not better than any of the other (candidates)," Butler said.

Robert "Dog" Connell and Lannie Gribble, however, leaned toward Bob Owens, who lost the race for commissioner to the five incumbents in the last election. Connell said Owens is "entitled" to the position because he knew he wouldn't have much of a chance against five incumbents and ran anyway and is planning to run again, showing a concern for the community.

Gribble suggested that if they could not agree on those two candidates, they should look at someone else. However, Butler and Rix were steadfast in their belief that Goss is the only man for the job. With Butler and Rix only willing to vote for Goss and Connell and Gribble not willing to vote for him, the council agreed that there could be no agreement and motioned to adjourn.

Butler said they could continue as a four-man team until the next city election in spring 2009, if need be. Connell, however, said that if they only operate with a four-man team, he will not make or second any motions, saying that with no tiebreaker, the council cannot function. When Mayor Butler made a motion to adjourn, Connell refused to second it.

"I can be just as stubborn as he can," Connell said after the meeting.

codell.rodriguez@thesouthern.com / 351-5804