Voters in Brainerd will have the unusual experience of participating in a total of four separate special elections in the span of one year.
Last November, Andy Berke defeated Oscar Brock to win the District 10 seat in the Tennessee State Senate that became vacant when Ward Crutchfield resigned after pleading guilty to federal bribery charges as an outcome of the "Operation Tennessee Waltz" corruption sting. The February 5 presidential preference primary also featured an election to replace Marti Rutherford, who had resigned from the District 6 seat on the Chattanooga City Council. That election was won by Carol Berz. On August 7, all of Hamilton County will decide on a replacement for convicted felon Billy Long, whose Sheriff tenure was interrupted after a mere eighteen months. (The candidates are Tim Akins, Independent; County Commissioner Greg Beck, Democrat; Fred Fuson, Write-in; Jim Hammond, Republican; and Jim Winters, Independent. Early voting begins July 18.) And then, just a few months before citywide elections next March, the November 4 federal and state general election will have another City Council seat as special guest on the ballot, this time for District 5, which John "Duke" Franklin, Jr. vacated after being indicted along with several others in a multi-jurisdiction roundup. The City Council named retired educator Luther Shockley as interim representative for District 5, which covers from North Brainerd to the Highway 58 area. But on November 5, a "permanent" member will be sworn in to complete the term ending with the elections in March. Per the terms of the interim appointment, Mr. Shockley is not to run in the November election. While several area citizens have indicated that they might run for this office, one man has made a public declaration. I met Russell Gilbert recently, and asked him just a few questions about his entry into the race. We started with a concern fresh on some Brainerd residents' minds: how long the candidate has lived in the district. Mr. Gilbert laughed, "Well, let's see, how old am I? I'm 48, so I've lived in the area about 48 years." We turned next to what he felt were the most important issues facing the people in the area. He stated that the opportunity for jobs is the number one issue—not only for District 5, but for the entire city. The youth need alternatives to help them stay away from crime, he added. Furthermore, Gilbert continued, District 5 needs to receive its "fair share" from the City. He praised improvements downtown, in Hixson, and in East Brainerd, but reminded that there are eyesores in the Fifth, from Highway 58 to Brainerd; and not just dilapidated buildings, but overgrown public areas that should be kept up by the City. The mowing schedule seems lopsided. Gilbert cited the lack of sidewalks in the area known as "Highway 58" (Murray Hills, Washington Heights, and several more neighborhoods), despite plans laid long ago to implement them, as another example of how resources are unevenly distributed. And even though the City of Chattanooga doesn't have direct control over the schools, he said, he would work with parents and communities to strengthen the opportunities for I asked him what he offers to the citizens of this district; what sets him apart from potential opponents.* He replied, "I will show you what I have done for my community. I won't just talk about what I will do." He described leading a citizen group that collected signatures for a new ball field in Washington Heights. "I knew that [city officials] would say that they didn't have the money, but we collected them anyway...." The group then employed a strategy that involved watching the news for reports of other recreation expenditures, when the area in question still hadn't received any upgrade. "I took it a step further," he explained. Gilbert extended an invitation to go look at the recreational fields, which eventually did get the needed upgrades. 
He said that he would continue to work this way with the constituents, if elected. "I set high goals," he maintained, specifying optimistic projects like beautifying Brainerd Road ("because it is the main route people take from the airport to downtown") and encouraging new mixed-use development on Tunnel and Wilcox Boulevards. Gilbert stated that he would address the inequity in the number of patrols designated for each zone by the Chattanooga Police Department. "I really want to look at how many officers are assigned to each area, and find the right ratio." Finally, he issued a general promise to work with the citizens to solve their concerns, rather than approaching them with a solution from City Hall without listening first. *According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, May 28, 2008, Cynthia Stanley-Cash and Robert Schreane, both of the North Brainerd area, have also expressed interest in running for the District 5 Council seat. Should either of them, or any other candidate announce, I will endeavor to meet with them for the same sort of "get to know you" post as this one. An abridged version of this post was submitted for publication in the Brainerd Unity Group's quarterly newsletter.
Joe Lance
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