Franklin swears in new council
The new Franklin town council, from left to right: Joe Collins, Travis Higdon, Rita Salain, Mayor Stacy Guffey, Vice Mayor Mike Lewis, Robbie Tompa and Jeff Berry.
Kyle Perrotti photo
The town of Franklin now has a new mayor, vice mayor and council member.
After winning their elections in November, the board was officially sworn in during the town’s Dec. 1 meeting. Stacy Guffey, formerly the vice mayor, was sworn in as mayor, newcomers Jeff Berry and Travis Higdon were sworn in as councilmembers and Rita Salain was again sworn in after winning as an incumbent.
In the General Election, held Nov. 4, Guffey, who opted to run for mayor instead of trying to keep his seat on town council, won his race against political newcomer and business owner Matthew Holland, coming away with a total of 333 (59.04%) votes.
The top vote-getter out of a crowded field for town council was Berry with 313 votes. Next was incumbent Salain, who received 297 votes. Also earning a seat on council was Higdon with 283 votes.
There was a packed house for the swearing-in ceremony and Franklin Town Hall’s downstairs meeting room, as seats ran out and dozens were left standing. Many were friends and family of those who won their elections, but there were also plenty of residents on-hand to see their new leadership take the helm.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have this many people here at every meeting,” former Mayor Jack Horton, who didn’t run again this year, said as he opened the meeting.
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Prior to the swearing in, Guffey gave Horton and outgoing council member David Culpepper plaques acknowledging their service to the town and its residents. Both men received standing ovations. Each of them spoke briefly with Horton commending those he worked with during his term as mayor.
“We probably have the best staff and management team of any town our size throughout the state,” he said.
Culpepper, who served a pair of terms, reminded the crowd of something he’d said during a previous campaign, sage advice for the new board.
“Don’t worry about old people and tourists; just focus on making Franklin a good place to live, and you won’t be able to keep the old people and tourists away,” he said.
Next, one by one, surrounded by friends and family, the four individuals who were elected were sworn in. Then after a short recess, Guffey assumed the chair Horton had occupied just five minutes before and gaveled the meeting back in. First order of business was to select Council Member Mike Lewis to be the next vice mayor, a motion that carried unanimously.
Guffey opened up the floor for each council member to say a few words, after which he offered a speech for his fellow board members and the many from the community who turned out. Guffey’s message was simple — he plans on continuing to do the town’s business with a focus on unity, regardless of political party. As the old saying goes, potholes and other municipal issues don’t know political parties, but they do necessitate that elected leaders work together to fix them.
New Mayor Stacy Guffey presents a plaque honoring the service of former Mayor Jack Horton. Kyle Perrotti photo
He made the point by calling out a Smoky Mountain News story that broke down partisan shifts on the regional level by looking at local election results, saying that people with different beliefs won’t be pitted against one another.
“We have a Republican on this board because Democrats and independents voted for him. We have Democrats here because Republicans and independents voted for them,” Guffey said. “That tells me something. Franklin’s heart beats stronger than its labels. We look for character, not party for service, not slogans.”
“We can prove that government still works when people put their neighbors before names and service before self,” he added. “Let me make something clear; when I read in a newspaper that our board has shifted in one way or the other in terms of Democrats, Republicans or independents, I want to say this, no party gained seats on this board, because party stops at that door right there. This is a nonpartisan board. What Franklin gained are two new board members, neighbors that are eager to learn, ready to serve from the heart and ready to get to work for you. And let me be very clear — when I hear someone say that their party is going to take control of this board. No. No party controls this board. The people of Franklin control this board.”
