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By Lisa Tindell

The Brewton Standard

No incumbents listed

The municipal election in East Brewton is set for Aug. 25, but that event isn’t even needed in light of the roster of qualified candidates.

At the end of the qualification period, only the incumbents in five offices qualified and one new comer qualified for the only seat where an incumbent chose not to run for re-election.

Mayor Terry Clark, who will begin his eighth term as the city’s leader this November, said he believes that lack of interest is the main reason those positions were unopposed.

“I think that people are just losing interest in government,” Clark said. “The younger generation of people just aren’t looking at becoming a part of leadership. We really do need some younger people to step up and look at being involved in the operation of their city.”

Clark said he didn’t believe the current pandemic had any bearing on the lack of people qualifying to run for election.

“I really don’t think the virus had much to do with this,” Clark said. “I have seen people lose interest in our city’s government in the past several years. For seven times that I’ve run for the office of mayor I have had four or five people run against me and I still won. This has been the easiest re-election that I’ve had.”

Incumbents who will return to their positions at the first council meeting of November 2020 are Mayor Terry Clark, Ned Seibert – Place 1; Kenny Hultz – Place 2; Ludon Simmons – Place 3; Bob Arrant – Place 4. Byron Palmer, who was the councilman for Place 5, chose not to run for re-election. Newcomer John Stephens will take Palmer’s place in the November.

Each of the returning and new council members and the mayor were all approved for their positions through the unanimous approval of resolutions and certificates of elections were approved as well.