Hiram Council Candidate’s Qualification Challenged

One of the candidates for may be asked to clarify his residency details in order to run in the November election.

According to Paulding.com, George D.D. Turner, a candidate for Post 1, was the subject for the challenge, but contacted by phone on Monday, Hiram City Clerk Terri Graham said there was as yet no official information regarding a challenge, or a hearing for any specific candidate.

But Graham did acknowledge that a challenge was being initiated in order to clarify some conflicting information with regard to a candidate’s residency information, but declined to comment further pending a formal request from the city attorney reaching the Elections and Registration office.

As of Monday afternoon, nothing official had yet been filed with the county regarding any hearing, according to Deidre Holden, supervisor, Paulding County Elections and Registration office.  

At , interim Mayor Jack Paris was authorized to enter into a contract with the county's Election Board as a preliminary step to enable the mayor to hold such a hearing, if one were needed, Graham said.

The contract, which must be approved by the county, is expected to take place at Thursday's Board of Commissioners meeting, and a hearing to clarify the candidate’s residency information could then be set.

Post 1 is the seat given up by Paris , and currently occupied by city council veteran Alvin Sims, who returned in August to fill in through the end of the year. In addition to Turner, qualifiers included Prather “Pep” Rollins and Stephen S. Bray.

Post 2 incumbent Helena Williams faces a challenge from Kathy Bookout, a downtown Hiram business owner. Williams filled the vacated position of Bob Ballentine six months prior to Williams’ election in 2007.

In order to qualify for the election, a candidate must be a citizen in good standing and have lived within city limits for at least one year.