More incumbent municipal candidates are throwing their hats in the ring for this fall’s elections in Bartlett and Lakeland, as all but one of the incumbents for government and school boards will be running for re-election on Nov. 3.

Candidates can begin picking up petitions to run on June 22.

Lakeland has two Board of Commissioners seats up for election this fall, currently occupied by Wesley Wright and Vice Mayor Josh Roman, who recently announced he will not seek re-election.

“I have been either on a volunteer board or an elected official in Lakeland since 2005,” Roman said. “In that time, I have had many debates on the direction of our city.

“After winning battles to fund the school system, get county TIF support for The Lake District as well as Lakeland Commons, get creative funding to win Aldi’s and fund athletic fields for baseball, basketball, soccer and softball, while keeping our property taxes the lowest in Shelby County, I felt it was time to take a break,” he said.

Roman is not ruling out running for office in the future.

Over the weekend, Jim Atkinson, former planning director and city manager with the City of Lakeland, announced that he plans to run for Roman’s vacated seat this fall.

“I’m running for commissioner because I believe my direct experience involving planning and managing the city over almost 14 years would have enormous value as we identify, prioritize and strategically plan our path forward,” Atkinson said.

During his time employed with the city – he left as city manager in 2018 to work in the private sector – Atkinson says he learned to love Lakeland and made a lot of great friendships. He and his wife moved their family to Lakeland in 2014.

“And then a year later we pulled our three boys out of private school and put them into Lakeland schools, and they are thriving,” Atkinson said.

Wright will run for his second term as city alderman.

“Lakeland citizens have witnessed my consistent advocacy for our top-performing schools, accessibility and transparency, upscale residential and commercial design, conservation and walkability that have all helped establish our city as a benchmark community in the region,” he said. “I hope to be given the opportunity for another four years of public service in order to elevate our town even more.”

During his first term, Wright, who owns a landscaping business, helped bring Flock safety cameras to Lakeland, initiated the moratorium on apartments, and brought forth the Lakeland 2040 Vision Plan.

Bartlett Aldermen

Bartlett Vice Mayor Jack Young intends to run for re-election in Bartlett’s Alderman Position 5 race.

“I have enjoyed serving the citizens of Bartlett over the years,” Young said. “I’m a graduate of Bartlett High School, I’ve raised my family here and believe Bartlett is a wonderful community that I have contributed to over the years. Both of my daughters are Bartlett graduates and their children are currently in Bartlett schools.”

Young, a retired facility director for the Spinal and Biologics division of Medtronic, was appointed to fill the Position 5 seat in 1999, and he has been elected or re-elected for that position five consecutive times.

“I believe with the challenges all our cities will be facing going forward, there is value in having someone with experience involved in the decision-making process,” he said. “I’ve learned a great deal over the past 22 years I have had the honor to serve our city.”

Bartlett Alderman Bobby Simmons, a former officer with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, will seek to retain his Position 4 seat for his fifth term as alderman.

“I will be on the ticket to run in November,” Simmons confirmed. “I like serving the people, I like getting things done for people, and I’ve had a good experience with being an alderman over the years.”

Alderwoman Paula Sedgwick plans to run again to retain her Position 6 seat.

“I’m very passionate about Bartlett and our local community,” she said. “We have an outstanding municipality here, with our own schools now that are thriving. I’m very honored to be a part of that, and I look forward to continuing that hopefully.”

She will be seeking her third four-year term as alderwoman. She and her late husband are former owners and operators of Memphis Wilbert Vault Co.

School Boards 

The Lakeland Board of Education seats occupied by Jeremy Burnett and Michelle Childs are both up for election in November.

“Both board members have told me they plan to run to retain their seats,” said Lakeland School System Superintendent Dr. Ted Horrell.

For Bartlett City Schools, three board seats will be up for election this fall, including those currently occupied by Shirley Jackson, Portia Tate and board chairman David Cook.

All will be seeking re-election.

“Being on the Bartlett board has been such a good experience. Our school system has done well,” said Jackson, a retired teacher of 35 years who has served on the board since the district’s inception in 2014. “I want to get our schools reopened and up and running and continue the work that we’ve done.”

Cook will also be on the ticket again this fall.

“My youngest is still in high school, and I would like to see that through, plus I still feel like I have the ability to contribute skills and knowledge and advance things along,” said Cook, a director at AutoZone’s Downtown Memphis office. He holds Position 5 on the board and has also served on the board since the BCS district formed.

Tate, also an educator for 35 years, sits on the BCS board in an interim capacity after she was appointed following Jeff Norris’ resignation last year. 

The first day to pick up petitions for municipal offices is June 22, with the qualifying deadline being Aug 20. Candidates must get 25 signatures from registered voters to qualify.

Voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 5, with early voting scheduled for Oct. 14 through Oct. 29.

There are no elections for the Town of Arlington in 2020.