Oak Ridge City Council fills 54 seats across boards, names council representatives
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Oak Ridge City Council completed elections and appointments to city advisory boards and commissions during its first regular meeting of 2025, filling 54 vacancies from a field of 119 applicants and assigning council representatives to key bodies.
The council handled many races by acclamation when the number of applicants equaled available seats, then used secret ballots and subsequent rounds where contests exceeded vacancies. The full slate of winners included, by acclamation, three hotel representatives to Explore Oak Ridge (Heather Brown, Sonia Roy and James Stabler) and three members of the Health and Educational Facilities Board (Fay Martin, Deanna O'Curt and Sean Taylor). Several contested races required multiple rounds of voting; for example, the Arts, Culture and History Alliance Advisory Board elected Wendy Aron, Tristy Berryhill, Joy Bonamart, Beth Shea and Jenna Watson and then assigned staggered terms by separate ballots.
Council also confirmed its internal representative assignments: Mayor Pro Tem Dodson will serve as the council representative to the Planning Commission and to the newly formed Arts, Culture and History Alliance Advisory Board; Mayor Gooch was reappointed as council representative to the Land Bank. The council appointed Council Members Hensley, Gleason and Dodson to the city attorney evaluation committee as recommended by staff.
Clerk staff managed complex ballot rounds and term assignments in public, noting some ballots required tie-breaking rounds when more candidates received the same number of votes than there were slots. Several incumbents were re-elected where races were uncontested or unanimous.
The council meeting packet listed the full applicant roster and the clerk recorded vote-by-vote selections for multiple boards. Winners were announced during the meeting after tallying each ballot round; ballots and vote counts were administered publicly during the session.
The appointments clear dozens of advisory seats that advise city staff and council on subjects ranging from zoning appeals and environmental quality to beer permits, parks and senior services. Several council members thanked volunteers for applying and noted continued opportunities for civic participation.
The council adjourned the appointments portion and moved on to regular business after completing the slate of selections.
The council handled many races by acclamation when the number of applicants equaled available seats, then used secret ballots and subsequent rounds where contests exceeded vacancies. The full slate of winners included, by acclamation, three hotel representatives to Explore Oak Ridge (Heather Brown, Sonia Roy and James Stabler) and three members of the Health and Educational Facilities Board (Fay Martin, Deanna O'Curt and Sean Taylor). Several contested races required multiple rounds of voting; for example, the Arts, Culture and History Alliance Advisory Board elected Wendy Aron, Tristy Berryhill, Joy Bonamart, Beth Shea and Jenna Watson and then assigned staggered terms by separate ballots.
Council also confirmed its internal representative assignments: Mayor Pro Tem Dodson will serve as the council representative to the Planning Commission and to the newly formed Arts, Culture and History Alliance Advisory Board; Mayor Gooch was reappointed as council representative to the Land Bank. The council appointed Council Members Hensley, Gleason and Dodson to the city attorney evaluation committee as recommended by staff.
Clerk staff managed complex ballot rounds and term assignments in public, noting some ballots required tie-breaking rounds when more candidates received the same number of votes than there were slots. Several incumbents were re-elected where races were uncontested or unanimous.
The council meeting packet listed the full applicant roster and the clerk recorded vote-by-vote selections for multiple boards. Winners were announced during the meeting after tallying each ballot round; ballots and vote counts were administered publicly during the session.
The appointments clear dozens of advisory seats that advise city staff and council on subjects ranging from zoning appeals and environmental quality to beer permits, parks and senior services. Several council members thanked volunteers for applying and noted continued opportunities for civic participation.
The council adjourned the appointments portion and moved on to regular business after completing the slate of selections.
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