By George Slaughter
The search is on for a new Ward A city council member following the resignation of Gary Jones, which became official Tuesday.
The council now has 20 days to find a replacement, a Ward A resident, who would be nominated by Mayor Chuck Brawner and approved by the council.
Brawner said those interested in filling the seat should either visit with him or another member of the council.
Jones himself was first appointed to the seat in June 2015. He succeeded William “Bill” Lawton III, who died of cancer following his own election in May 2015. Jones was elected to a term in his own right last year.
City Attorney Art Pertile said the new council member would serve out the remainder of Jones’s term, which expires next May.
Jones did not attend Tuesday afternoon’s meeting at which the council accepted his resignation. He said Saturday he resigned for what he described as “very personal family matters.”
The other Ward A council member, Janet Corte, was elected in May.