Millington elects two new school board members and keeps alderman
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Millington has two new school board members and an appointed alderman will remain in office after a 2022 midterm election shakeup on Tuesday.
Alderman, Position 3: Chris Ford vs. Tom Stephens
Chris Ford beat out Tom Stephens for the only contested alderman race in Millington.
Unofficial results:
Ford: 72% at 1,503 votes
Stephens: 27% at 571 votes
Ford ran on a platform of increasing police retention, emphasizing the possibility of better salary packages to retain officers longer and get them invested in the Millington community.
Ford was appointed to the alderman seat earlier this year to finish the term of Jon Crisp, who resigned to head the Millington Industrial Development Board.
School Board, Position 3: Brian McGovern vs. Gregory Ritter
Unofficial results:
McGovern: 57% at 1,208 votes
Ritter: 43% at 916 votes
Brian McGovern beat incumbent Gregory Ritter. McGovern is an Internet technology professional whose wife teaches in Millington Municipal Schools. McGovern endorses control of the city’s local school system and hopes to bring his experience working in planning and forecasting as an asset to the school board.
“The first 90 days will really be a lot of listening, understanding and learning,” McGovern said. “I want to get to know the culture and fellow school board members while formulating a larger plan and larger consensus that I’d like to start working on as soon as possible.”
School Board, Position 6: Mandy Compton vs. Larry C. Jackson
Unofficial results:
Compton: 52% at 1,114 votes
Jackson: 48% at 1,013 votes
Compton is a retired educator and thinks her experience in the public school system will add a fresh perspective to the relatively young school district.
“I really did not expect to win. Mr. Jackson is a well-respected man, so I’ve got some big shoes to fill,” Compton said. “Moving forward I think we’ll be able to make a good plan for growth so I’m excited. It’s going to be interesting to serve the students in Millington in an entirely new capacity.”
Alderman, Position 1 (unopposed)
Bethany K. Huffman is a certified public accountant seeking to attract and retain quality employees, particularly in law enforcement. Huffman wants to employ a salary study to help officials gauge if Millington offers competitive wages. She also wants to see existing codes enforced to ensure the city looks attractive for new development.
Alderman, Position 2 (unopposed)
Al Bell is a retired firefighter and paramedic supervisor and has served two terms as an alderman. Bell said officials must stay ahead of environmental issues including run-down buildings and trash, to help keep Millington cleaner.
Alderman, Position 4 (unopposed)
Larry Dagen will be stepping into a fourth term as alderman. Dagan says city leaders could communicate their efforts more adequately to the public to prevent disinformation and communicate progress.
School Board, Position 2 (unopposed)
Debby Clifton is focused on student and teacher retention as Millington’s population increases and ensuring each student has equal opportunity in academics.
School Board, Position 4 (unopposed)
Cody Childress is a Memphis city code enforcement inspector and lives in the Lucy community. Childress considers himself a realist when it comes to post-secondary education and encourages CTE (Career and Technical Education) programs as potential options for students choosing not to enter college.
Topics
millington 2022 Millington election Chris Ford Brian McGovern Mandy ComptonAlicia Davidson
Alicia Davidson is a lifelong Memphis resident and graduate of The University of Memphis College of Journalism and Strategic Media. When not scribbling about the latest Memphis news, you will find her reading historical biographies, cooking Italian cuisine and practicing vinyasa yoga.
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