Two vacant seats on the Carter County will be filled next month, but there is still time for interested parties to throw their names in the hat for consideration for the slots.

One seat in the 1st District and one seat in the 3rd District are up for grabs. Former Commissioner Jerry Proffitt, who represented the 1st District, had to resign his seat in March after moving out of the district. Former Commissioner Beth Depew, who represented the 3rd, resigned that same month, citing a new career opportunity and work obligations as the reasons behind her leaving the post.

When a vacancy on the Commission occurs following an election, the remaining members of the Commission will elect a replacement from a pool of qualified applicants, County Mayor Leon Humphrey said.

The full Commission is slated to vote to fill the two vacancies during the group’s meeting May 18 at 9 a.m.

“We will be receiving applications through May 8,” Humphrey said. “That will give us time to get those applications into the packets for the commissioners so they can review them.”

At the meeting on May 18, each of the applicants will be given the chance to address the full Commission regarding their qualifications and reasons for seeking the office. Once the applicants have addressed the group the commissioners will vote to fill the seats.

Once appointed by the Commission, the new members will fill the seat until the mid-term election next year, Humphrey said. Those seats will then appear on the ballot along with the race for the Assessor of Property, which is the only county office elected on a mid-term election year, he said.

“Whoever wins that election will finish out the term through 2018,” Humphrey said.

In order to be eligible to fill the vacancy, applicants must reside in the district they are applying to represent and meet all of the state-mandated basic requirements for the post.

Under state law, a person must be 18 years of age or older, a citizen of the United States and of Tennessee.

The following persons are ineligible under state law for holding office:

τ Those who have been convicted of offering or giving a bribe, or of larceny, or any other offense declared infamous by law, unless restored to citizenship in the mode pointed out by law

τ Those against whom there is a judgment unpaid for any moneys received by them, in any official capacity, due to the United States, to this state, or any county of this state

τ Those who are defaulters to the treasury at the time of the election, and the election of any such person shall be void

τ Soldiers, sailors, marines, or airmen in the regular army or navy or air force of the United States

τ Members of congress, and persons holding any office of profit or trust under any foreign power, other state of the union, or under the United States.

Those who are interested in applying for the vacant seats need to complete and submit a “Boards and Committees Application” to the County Clerk’s office at the Courthouse by 4:30 p.m. on May 8.

Applications may be picked up at the Clerk’s Office or in the County Mayor’s Office. Applications are also available online at www.cartercountytn.gov under the employment tab.