BY TOM YANCEY
STAFF WRITER
Two more candidates have filed qualifying petitions to run for alderman in Greeneville's second ward: incumbent Sarah E.T. Webster and challenger Brian N.F. Bragdon.
The 2nd Ward is the area inside Greeneville south of Church Street.
Three other candidates have already qualified: former mayor Darrell Bryan, attorney Duncan Cates Cave, and retiree Phillip Keith Lowrey, who is also a candidate for the Greene County Commssion.
Bragdon, a former member of the Greeneville Civil Service Board, has filed a qualifying petition to run for Alderman in the 2nd Ward in the June 1 municipal election.
Bragdon, 46, of 1205 Rambling Court, is general transportation manager for the Walmart Distribution Center.
He served on the town's civil service board from 2004 to 2007.
Asked why he is running, Bragdon said that his civil service board experience "gave me some exposure to local government and sparked my interest."
He added that his leadership experience with the U.S. Army as an ordnance officer for four years and his 20 years with Walmart, 15 of which were as a general manager here and in Pennsylvania, have helped prepare him, "and I think I can benefit the town as a result."
"I love Greeneville," Bragdon said, "and I feel like we need some change and some diversity for the good of our town, and I think change is good."
Alderman Sarah E.T. Webster, of 1241 Tanglewood Drive, filed a qualifying petition on Wednesday to seek re-election, representing the 2nd Ward.
Webster, 66, has been an alderman for 20 years. She is chairman of both the Greeneville Historic Zoning Commission and the Greeneville-Greene County Regional Solid Waste Planning Board. She is a member of the Greeneville Parks & Recreation Board, and several community organizations.
Efforts to reach her for a comment this morning were unsuccessful.
The deadline for filing to run in the June 1 election is Thursday, March 18, at noon.
DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEEWOMAN
Marjorie Ramsey, of 2295 Highway 160, Newport, has filed a petition qualifying her to run for state executive committeewoman in the Democratic party.
Ramsey is seeking to represent the area that comprises the 1st Senatorial District (Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, and Unicoi counties).
That election is part of the Aug. 5 state primary.
