The county commission has chosen a school board member to replace recently-resigned member Billy Miller.
Kate Miller, the wife of Billy Miller, was the sole applicant for the vacant Fourth-District seat, despite notices being placed with local media requesting applicants and the public being given the opportunity to submit names for consideration.
She was not present at the meeting, but Miller submitted a statement voicing her desire to take the position. She will serve until a successor is elected by the county voters at the next general election in August 2016.
Citing a new job that forbids him from holding public office, Billy Miller announced his resignation from the board effective Sept. 30. Miller works for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). His first four-year term on the board had just been completed, and he was re-elected to a second term in August.
Miller’s letter read: "Dear Mr. Stribling and county commission members. This letter is to inform you of my interest in being appointed to fulfill the term of school board member for the fourth district. The DeKalb County school system has been an integral part of my life for many years. It is not only where I received my education but where my children are also being educated. As the mother of a fourth grader and a seventh grader, I have worked extensively as a parent volunteer. I have had several leadership positions in the PTO and have served as room mother multiple times. I feel like this association to our schools has provided me with a good picture for some of our educational needs. If selected as the board member from the fourth district, I can promise that my every decision will be thoughtfully considered and would be made in the best interest of our children. It would be a real honor to serve on the DeKalb County School Board and I would gladly accept this appointment."
The floor was opened at the meeting to hear from any other fourth district resident who might be interested in the position, and no one stepped forward. County Mayor Tim Stribling asked if the county commission wished to place any names in nomination. Third District member Jack Barton nominated Kate Miller. There were no other nominations.
Fifth district member Jerry Adcock then asked the mayor if a vote was to be taken that night, to which Stribling replied "It's up to you (commissioners)".
"No I think we need to bring people in and let them interview like we did last time," Adcock opined. "You've got to nominate someone before you bring them in to interview. This is according to CTAS. I can ask our attorney to speak to it," the mayor said.
"We conferred with CTAS and it's in the code. This is the way you do it," County Attorney Hilton Conger added. Barton made a motion to cease nominations, which was seconded by Fourth District commissioner Jonathon Norris. All the commissioners except Adcock voted in favor of the motion.
Conger then said that if the commissioners felt the need to interview Miller, they could do so before voting on the appointment. "You do have the option. You don't have to take your vote tonight if you want to interview," said Conger. "Alright, I'd like to make a motion that we interview," Adcock interjected.
"You want to interview Ms. Kate Miller?" Stribling asked Adcock. "Or anybody else that wants one," Adcock replied. "Jerry, there's not anybody else. We're going to interview Ms. Kate Miller," Stribling said. "Then there's no since in making the motion," Adcock concluded.
The commissioners then voted unanimously to appoint Miller to the post.
