Candidate qualifying took place this week for the Locust Grove Mayor special election coming up in November 2024. Three candidates qualified to seek the position.
The special election is to fill the unexpired term of Mayor Robert Price, who passed away earlier this year. The winner will serve until December 2027.
Locust Grove Mayor Election 2024
The following candidates qualified for the special election:
- Carlos Greer,
- Bart Hammock, and
- Vincent Williams.
Municipal elected officials are non-partisan. Therefore, there is no party affiliation listed with each candidate. Mr. Greer and Mr. Williams are current council members. Mr. Hammock is a local business owner. Each candidate should be sharing more information about their platform and goals for the city between now and the election.
Residents in Locust Grove will consider on their November ballots which candidate to elect as their next mayor. The city and county board of elections are in the process to consolidate city voting precincts with the county precincts. This will allow Locust Grove residents to cast their ballot for mayor on the same ballot as President and other positions. This will eliminate the need for voters to go to two different locations.
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City Council Qualifying
Mr. Greer and Mr. Williams had to resign their seats on the city council to run for mayor. Georgia law required their resignations based on the end dates of their terms. For this reason, there now exists two openings on the city council.
The city will host qualifying for city council later this month. Qualifying will be on Monday to Wednesday, August 19 thru 21. Candidates must reside within the city to run for office. They must also pay a qualifying fee of $360.
Councilman Greer’s term was scheduled to expire in 2027. Councilman Williams’ term was set to end in 2025. Because of the different dates, interested candidates will need to declare which council seat they are looking to fill. In addition, the subsequent qualifying period will allow both mayor and city council to be on the November 2024 ballot. Finally, all winners can be sworn-in in November after the election results are certified.
No Quorum, No Meetings
The Locust Grove city charter requires either the mayor or mayor pro temp, plus four council members, be present to hold a city meeting. At this time, there are only four remaining city council members. Because of this requirement, the city cannot hold another meeting until after the special election.
City staff have prepared for this scenario since April when it was identified as a possibility. The city’s day-to-day functions will continue without disruptions. The council will resume meetings with its new mayor and council members before the end of the year.
Featured image shows Locust Grove city hall. Clayton Carte photo.
