Carter County Government Starts Anew with Swearing in Ceremony

Published 5:38 pm Thursday, September 1, 2022

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Star Correspondent
The Carter County Courthouse was packed with a standing room only crowd at noon on Wednesday as both new and returning members of the county’s government was sworn into office.
The ceremony began as all three returning judges from the 1st Judicial Criminal Court were sworn in. Judges Lisa Rice and Stacy Street took turns swearing one another into office while Carter County Clerk Mary Gouge administered the oath of office to Sessions Court Judge Keith Bowers Jr. for his new eight year term on the bench.
Bowers presided as the oath of office was administered to a new sheriff; a newly elected mayor; members of the county commission and school board; constables; trustees; and members of the office of deeds.
Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby retains the office she has occupied since being selected by the county commission after the death of Mayor Rusty Barnett in September 2020. Woodby is the first female elected mayor in Carter county.
Sheriff Mike Fraley was a member of the Carter County Sheriff’s Department for 30 years from 1989 until his retirement in 2019. This will be his first term in office, and he has announced he will name his new leadership team on Thursday.
There was a major shakeup of the county commissioners as 12 of the 24 members sworn in Wednesday were newly elected on Aug. 4. New members are Nick Holder (1st District); Avery Wynn (2nd District); Steve Burrough and Angie Odom (3rd District); Danny Deal and Gary Kemp (4th District); Lisa Childress (5th District); Donnie Cable, Pattie Duffield and Todd Smith (6th District); Jason Rasnick (7th District); and Cody McQueen (8th District). McQueen has previously served on the county commission. The incumbents who will serve another term are: Robert Acuff and Willie Campbell (1st District); Nancy Brown and Julie Guinn (2nd District); Brad Johnson (3rd District); Jerry Proffitt (4th District); Ginger Holdren and Layla Ward (5th District); Aaron Frazier and Daniel McInturff (7th District); and Thomas Proffitt and Kelly Collins (8th District).
Three newly elected school board members –  Garry Oaks, Jeremiah Tolley and Terry Hubbard  – and the returning board chairman Tony Garland took the oath of office.
There was a changing of the guard in the Trustee’s office as retiring Trustee Randal Lewis was succeeded by his son Chad, while incumbents Mary Gouge of the county clerk’s office and Jarrod Ellis, the county’s registrar of deeds began new four year terms.
There are new and returning faces to the constable’s office of Carter County. They are: Chad Odom and Gary Perry (1st District); Chris Grindstaff (2nd District); Jerry Miller and Scott Whaley (3rd District); Jason Jones and Harvey Shaffer (4th District); Mark Carrier and Larry Presnell (5th District); Bobby Trivette (6th District); Dustin Baker and Ken Potter (7th District); and Bob Carroll and William Braswell (8th District). Several members of the office were unable to attend the ceremony due to illness or other obligations including former sheriff John Henson.

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