CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – On Jan. 10, Councilperson Deanna McLaughlin resigned as a member of the Clarksville City Council to work with new Congressman Matt Van Epps as deputy district director. Now, the City Council is prepping for the appointment process, and here are the steps outlined for the council vacancy to be filled.
According to the city charter, the council will need a majority vote to fill the vacancy, and the appointed member will serve until the November 2026 election cycle.
“The Charter is specific in how we must go about filling the interim vacancies, so we look forward to the process unfolding over the coming weeks,” Mayor Joe Pitts said in a press release. “I’m sure there are some qualified citizens in Ward 2 who will be interested in applying for this appointment.”
Qualifications, application process
Candidates must be a resident of the City of Clarksville, at least 18 years of age, have resided in the city for 12 months, as well as reside in and be qualified to vote in Ward 2. Ward 2 is on the west side of Clarksville, bounded roughly by Purple Heart Parkway on the north, Fort Campbell Boulevard on the east and Dover Road on the south.
Applicants are asked to submit their name, address, contact information and resume to City Clerk Lisa Canfield at 1 Public Square, or email the information to lisa.canfield@cityofclarksville.com no later than Monday, Feb. 2.
All qualified applicants must appear before the council on Feb. 5 to make a brief statement to the City Council. At that meeting, they can talk about their desire to serve, can speak on their background and may take questions from the sitting members of the City Council.
The council will vote to fill the vacancy at a special session on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 4:30 p.m.
‘Greatest honor of my life’
While speaking on stepping away from the City Council at her last meeting, McLaughlin said it’s been the greatest honor of her life to serve as the voice for citizens throughout Clarksville, particularly her neighbors in Ward 2.
She previously told Clarksville Now, “It’s humbling when you serve locally because when you’re out at the grocery store, the gas station, you run into the people that you work for. It’s a constant reminder of the position that you’re in to help people.
“I didn’t want to have to resign, but I also didn’t want to put the City of Clarksville in a conflicted position in applying for federal grants, and the role I’ll be serving for Congressman Van Epps is a big role. But the key is I’ll be operating out of Clarksville, I’ll still be in the area, as well as across the district.”
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