The Newton Board of Aldermen will choose who will replace current city attorney Robert Logan at the board’s next meeting on Sept. 18.
Logan chose to seek the office of Chancery Court Judge for the Second District, which current Judge David Clark chose not to seek another term. Logan was unopposed in the race and will be vacating the city attorney position at the end of the year to become the Chancery Judge, which serves Newton, Scott and Jasper counties.
The three candidates for the position are Brian Mayo, Edmund Phillips and Tyler McCaughn, all three of which have law firms in the Newton city limits.
Phillips was first to address the board. He is a resident of Newton and has served as an attorney in the community for many years. He has been an active participant in a number of community and civic activities, such as serving with the Newton Municipal School Board, Newton Rotary Club, Newton Lions Club, chamber of commerce and as a member of the Friends of the Kemper-Newton Library Board.
McCaughn is also a resident of Newton and has practiced law in Newton for more than 11 years, taking on the practice of retired attorney George Monroe. McCaughn currently serves as the board attorney for the Town of Hickory’s aldermen and is the municipal judge for the City of Decatur.
If he is selected as Newton’s attorney, he plans to resign from his posts with Hickory and Decatur to take on the full-time role in Newton.
“I’m a member of the community here,” McCaughn said. “I think you have three very qualified candidates here to choose from. I would like to ask you for the opportunity to serve the city.”
Mayo currently serves with Logan in the Logan & Mayo Law Firm in Newton. While Mayo currently doesn’t live in the city, he said he plans to move to the city in the near future.
He said one of his advantages is that he has been serving Newton already through Logan and has filled in when Logan was unable to attend the meetings.
“I’m already familiar with the city’s file, and I would be able to continue what Robert has done for the city,” Mayo said.
The board did not discuss the matter at the Sept. 4 meeting, but they plan to make a decision on Sept. 19.
In other business, the board:
• Set a public hearing for the 2018-2019 budget for Sept. 11 at 5:30 p.m.
• Allowed Alderwomen Linda Wash and Romonica Evans to attend the CMO conference in Pearl.
• Agreed to place a Blues Trail sign at the Newton Historic Depot honoring a blues artist with ties to the City of Newton.
• Allowed Evelyn Bender and Howard Ruffin to attend the MRPA Conference in Oxford, Oct. 15-18.
• Discussed options for returning the department’s body cameras due to not having policies and proper hardware for downloading and electronically filing the video, which like evidence must be kept at least two years.
• Talked about the department’s need to upgrade computer equipment and having an adequate offsite backup to protect the department’s data.
• Approved several purchase orders for the Biewer Lumber rail spur project when funds become available.
