By Bill Grubb

ROGERSVILLE - The Hawkins County Election Commission will interview current Administrator of Elections Patricia Lumpkins, as well as Lisa Manis and Steve McKinney to select the individual who will hold the administrator's post for a two-year term.
    Earlier this year the newly constituted election commission, consisting of Republicans Tommy Dykes, Carl Bailey and Luke Lee, Jr. and Democrats Tina Crownover and Teresa Greer, opted to solicit resumes for the administrator's post rather than automatically reappoint Lumpkins.
    Lumpkins was appointed in December 2007 to replace longtime administrator Peggy Fleenor by an election commission that consisted of three Democrats and two Republicans.
    Rather than discuss the names of individuals who submitted resumes in the open meeting,  Chairman Tommy Dykes had commission members use a "secret ballot" to narrow the field to three candidates to be interviewed, a process that is not permitted under Tennessee law.
    Tennessee Code Annotated 8-44-104 (b) states, in part, "(b) All votes of any such governmental body shall be by public vote or public ballot or public roll call. No secret votes, or secret ballots, or secret roll calls shall be allowed."
    Dykes said he made the decision not to discuss the names in the open meeting because some of the applicants are "currently employed and it wouldn't be right for their current employer to be aware they are seeking another job."
    Prior to the secret ballot it was noted current school board member Kathy Cradic had withdrawn her resume from consideration and an Lee said a candidate, identified as Sara Davis, was related to him and should be pulled from consideration.  
    "With everything else going on I don't want to open that can of worms," Lee said, pointing to a possible conflict of interest if a relative of an election commission member were to be selected.
    Lumpkins, who prior to her appointment had regularly worked as an election official, was formerly employed in the accounting department at International Playing Card & Label.  Lisa Manis is employed by Sharits Real Estate.  Steve McKinney was formerly branch manager at the Rogersville branch of Appalachian Community Federal Credit Union.
    The applicants will be interviewed July 6, beginning at 5 p.m., with the commission to meet again on July 7, at 7 p.m., to name the administrator.