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What is this?
Riddick running for mayor
Published Friday, February 26, 2010
FRANKLIN—A member of the Franklin Planning Commission has announced his intention to run for mayor.
James M. Riddick Sr., 58, a small-business contractor, spent Thursday collecting the rest of the 125 signatures he needed to file paperwork to run for office.
He declined to discuss the platform on which he plans to run.
“I want to make sure I am the people’s candidate before I disclose that,” Riddick said.
Riddick has been a member of the planning commission for four years. He is a retired civil servant who spent 37 years working on federal government contracts.
The North Carolina native said he moved to Franklin in 1960 “before Franklin became a city.”
A veteran of the Army, National Guard and Army Reserve, Riddick said his extensive travels have prepared him to deal with all types of people.
“We can come closer together, be more real with each other,” he said, when asked what the biggest issue facing Franklin is today. “People don’t need to be afraid of each other.”
When asked why he decided to seek the mayor position, Riddick said, “I saw the mayor in Franklin. I think he might be tired, and I think I have something to offer. I’m a very well-traveled person.”
Riddick ran for a City Council seat in 1998 as a write-in candidate.
“I only lost by 35 votes,” he said.
The deadline to file paperwork for the May 4 election is Tuesday. Incumbent Mayor Jim Councill has turned his in, according to the Voter Registrar’s office.
The City Council will have at least one new member on July 1. Councilman Mark Fetherolf, who represents Ward 6, said that he wouldn’t seek re-election to the seat. So far, no one has filed paperwork to run for that seat.
Councilwoman Mary Hilliard is also seeking re-election to her seat; she was re-elected without opposition in 2006 and has filed her paperwork.
Councilwoman Rosa Lawrence also is seeking a second term representing Ward 3. Lawrence replaced E. Kent Pope in 2006.
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Comments
Posted by yardmanbill (anonymous) on February 26, 2010 at 11:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hopefully the current mayor wont try to kill his efforts early as he did in the past by bringing in a second person to run against the other person so he splits the black vote.
Posted by employee2 (anonymous) on February 26, 2010 at 11:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That didn't take long to introduce race into the mix.
Posted by yardmanbill (anonymous) on February 26, 2010 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Because its always about race in this town. A town full of citizens and as my neighbor calls it "coloreds" Its not 1960 anymore Franklin.
Posted by yardmanbill (anonymous) on February 26, 2010 at 12:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
While we are at it, lets get rid of the City Council that made big promises when they were elected but are too afraid to stand up Jim Councill and fight for the city of Franklin.
Posted by turningpoint (anonymous) on February 26, 2010 at 4:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I would like to see a candidate who already knew what he believed in, as well as a candidate who I already knew what he stood for. With no platform, sounds like Mr. Riddick hasn't given it any real thought. This won't serve Franklin.
Posted by jt6 (anonymous) on February 26, 2010 at 5:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To Yardmanbill: Walter Brown III brought in a white dude to split the vote during the election in the county during his last election. Or we can just assume that these third parties decided to run since they are part of the community. Which is it? If all the candidates have a serious platform, then the community had a decision (otherwise, the community is composed of fools and deserved what they received in the vote count). So, watch for an earnest platform (wait, Riddick doesn't have one yet). I would like to know what Riddick stands for, thank you.
Posted by m992fs (anonymous) on February 26, 2010 at 8:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
yardmanbill, are u american ?
Posted by yardmanbill (anonymous) on February 26, 2010 at 8:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just standby. Riddick for Mayor
Posted by snr (anonymous) on February 27, 2010 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Can anyone name one good reason why anyone would want to serve in any office in Franklin with all the negative comments they receive from day one.??? Although I believe there are enough good citizens that appreciate what the Council and Police department are doing to find a thousand reasons why you would want to serve in Franklin.
Posted by sweetpie (anonymous) on February 28, 2010 at 11:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What is Riddick's opinion on ANYTHING? How can anyone support someone with no platform?
Posted by sweetwater (anonymous) on February 28, 2010 at 12:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To me it sounds like he is saying "There go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them."
Posted by StandingBear (anonymous) on February 28, 2010 at 5:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Be careful what you wish for, especially if you do not know where "he" stands.
Posted by pops5219 (anonymous) on February 28, 2010 at 10:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
wow franklinsince50 that's alot of money owed and with the unpaid utility bills money that's a huge sum that the city could surely use now
Posted by davefrklnva (anonymous) on March 1, 2010 at 6:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
franklinsince50..... That looks like a list of the City's income from everybody. Yes its what everyone owes, but are they all late or delinquint?
Posted by chilimac72 (anonymous) on March 2, 2010 at 9:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow. Interesting list. How about Lowes Home Center at $31k. Nice find!
Posted by grantsara83 (anonymous) on March 2, 2010 at 11:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Vote Councill! What's so bad about another 4 more years of his unique style of leadership? You say what? Mismanagement, mendacious, inept, mediocrity and boorish leadership. Just look at the team he's assembled. Excellent Finance dept., even though they are expert in collecting dust, their perfomance in their assigned function is as usual, lacking. They learned absolutely nothing from the BK episode.The Redevelopment and Housing dept., what can you say? City managers office, what more could you ask from a rubber stamp. Big Jim, exercises very firm day to day control over the Electric dept. and all other depts. Who else but Jimmie, the Wiz, would advertise for a new Electric dept. manager and not tell the incumbent he was being dismissed. Rigs the real estate assessments to fit his budget shortfalls. His steadfast support of both the Incubator Baby and the International Jet Port, losers at best. Imagine the Incubator Baby, housing a multi million dollar bank's mortgage dept. He is charming, that's just Jimmie's style, however he fails to understand and practice the most basic of fiscally responsible management principles. After all this is Franklin and until recently it was a fiefdom of the Camp family. My how times change, but leadership lags and does not change. The people simply refuse to speak.
Posted by SilverBullet (anonymous) on March 2, 2010 at 12:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
At least with delinquent RE taxes, the land can be sold. Delinquent personal property taxes are much harder to collect.
Nonetheless, as per grantsara, someone needs to brush off the dust and get busy doing what needs to be done to collect whats due before asking us for more.
Posted by minkybut (Jeff Turner) on March 2, 2010 at 2:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Certainly nobody is perfect, neither am I, but Mayor Jim does care about the city of Franklin. I have heard the passion in his voice when talking about flood issues. Certainly nothing yet physically has been done to improve the survivability of Franklin when the next flood comes but it is not because Mayor Jim has not tried.
Posted by grantsara83 (anonymous) on March 2, 2010 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Loyalty is commendable, but after more than a decade of news releases, people sort of expect something, well a plan of action. Surely, it's not the availability of grant money, that seems to be most plentiful. Most of the grant money this area has received has been designated for all the wrong projects.
Posted by PreserveNature (anonymous) on March 3, 2010 at 12:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
James Riddick doesn't stand a chance against Mayor Jim Councill.
Posted by PreserveNature (anonymous) on March 3, 2010 at 4:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
@jodiejerome- I'm not trying to start a fight here. I'm just making a statement and we'll see who wins the Mayoral Race after the election. Your stats are informative if they are true; however, the "illogical humor" is in your grammar and spelling.
Posted by PreserveNature (anonymous) on May 5, 2010 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mayor Councill is elected to another term. Enough said.
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