Murfreesboro’s April 15 City Municipal Election has come and gone, but the City Council remains the same, with incumbent candidates Toby Gilley, Chris Bratcher and Ron Washington keeping their seats on the seven-member board.
There are 53,696 registered voters in Murfreesboro, however only 4,679, or 8.7 percent, turned out to vote, a record low for the past 10 years.
“Historically non-presidential elections do have lower turnouts,” Gilley said. “Actually, local government has a bigger impact on voters’ day to day lives.”
It is the third term for councilman Gilley, who was initially elected to the board in 2000 while he was still in his 20s. He said properly managing growth has been, is, and will be the biggest issue facing Murfreesboro.
“There are a lot of exciting things going on in Murfreesboro,” he said, listing growth in the Gateway area, the Rover public transportation system, and an IS 2-class fire department among the city’s recent achievements. Gilley received 18 percent of the overall vote in the April 15 election, and ran under the slogan, “Building tomorrow on the values of yesterday.” He is a partner in a downtown law firm.
Councilman Washington, who also serves as district manager of MTEMC, came out on top in the election, garnering 20 percent of the total vote.
“I just feel like we had some unfinished business,” said the councilman explaining his decision to run. Washington has also served on the council for the past eight years, and served on the city’s Planning Commission from 1993 to 2002.
Washington cautioned voters not to be blinded by the “bright lights” of new development, like The Avenue, and keeps the interests of older, less developed, less affluent areas foremost in his thoughts.
He advised proactive, not reactive, dealings in the face of our country’s “economic downturn,” and said he was concerned by the low voter turnout.
“Any time we have a low turnout it should be a concern,” he said. “People need to vote.”
Vice Mayor Bratcher will also keep his seat on Murfreesboro’s City Council. The 49-year-old real estate broker also received 18 percent of the vote, just edging out candidate Eddie Smotherman by approximately 200 votes.
“I wish every citizen would take 10 minutes to go vote in every election, but we cannot make people vote,” Bratcher said. “I believe people are busy with work and family and happy with the city as a whole, and voting is not a high priority. I want to thank all those who did take the time to vote for all the candidates who ran.”
Bratcher has served on the council since 1988 and counts crime and traffic among Murfreesboro’s most pressing issues.
Washington, Bratcher and Gilley will serve four-year terms on the city board, which voted to restrict the outside furniture use of Murfreesboro residents, and who may cast a material vote on the proposed Bible Park USA. They will serve as at-large council members, meaning they represent all Murfreesboro residents.
The city council meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 111 West Vine St., on the first floor. Meetings are open to the public. Meeting details and agendas can be found online at murfreesborotn.gov.
To view the election results or for more information on upcoming elections and how to register to vote, visit rutherfordcountytn.gov/
election.
