Elections Commission Meets In New Space

By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–At its first meeting in its new offices, the Henry County Election Commission took actions preparing for the March and August 2020 primary elections.  The commission is in the process of moving into newly-remodeled space in the former Weston Hall on Grove Hill in Paris.
The commission will begin the move this week and Elections Administrator DeLaina Green said everything should be all moved in by the first of the year.
Elections Administrator DeLaina Green presented copies of the list of candidates for the upcoming primaries and it contained some surprises.
James Benau will be a Democratic candidate for the county road board District 4 and will be on the March ballot.
Others who have qualified for the general election ballot in August 2020 are:
Candidates for County Assessor of Property: Incumbent Charles VanDyke and Scott Morrison. VanDyke earlier had indicated he would be retiring, but presented his petition to run again. Both VanDyke and Morrison are running as Independents.
Republican Candidate Ginger Cox has withdrawn from the race.
Candidates for Road Board are: Bobby Milam, running for chairman; and Clarence Henry, running for commissioner in District 5. Both are running as Independents.
The list of candidates will become official December 19, which is the deadline to withdraw as primary/Independent candidates.
Green gave a tour of the commission’s new offices, which are more spacious and provide much more storage areas for the increased in equipment utilized by the office. For the first time, the Elections Administrator will have her own office and the board will have its own conference room space. The new offices include a roomy reception area and work spaces.
There also is a new parking area in front of the building, which will allow the public to enter from that entrance to both the election offices and the County Archives.
In other business:
–The commission approved a 2020 calendar for meetings, with regular meetings set for every third month.
–The commission reviewed and approved voter registrations.
Photo: Election Commission members meet in their first-ever conference room. From left, Chair Stephen Goggins, Bennie Akers, Sylvia Humphreys and Administrator DeLaina Green. (Shannon McFarlin photo).