Field To Replace Keith Durbin Grows Quickly

Wow, the names keep coming since Keith Durbin announced his departure from the Metro Council yesterday. Local restaurateur extraordinaire Randy Rayburn is the latest to express interest in the District 18 seat. Allen Woods, Ross Pepper, John Ray Clemmons and Maria Salas have also been mentioned in local news stories and blogs. At this rate the only way I'll be able to decide who to vote for is waiting until the final ballot comes out so I'll have all the names.

Durbin sent a message out to constituents this morning titled "A change of direction":

It is with mixed emotions that I write to inform you of a change in my status on the Metropolitan Council that will occur with the new year.

Mayor Karl Dean has offered me the position of Nashville's Director of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. After much thought and deliberation I have accepted the offer and will assume the CIO's duties on January 5, 2009. The CIO directs the strategic and day-to-day operations of the Information Technology Services Department within the Metro government.

Taking the position of CIO requires me, by Metro ordinance, to step down from my elected position as council member from district 18. I intend to do so immediately prior to my starting date as CIO. Per ordinance, there will be a special election for voters in district 18. The date for the election will be determined by the Election Commission.

In the time period between my resignation and the election of the next district 18 council member, Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors will appoint an At-Large council member to cover the district for constituent services and routine zoning issues. I have requested that our neighbor in the district, Council member-at-Large Megan Barry, be assigned this role.

Please know this decision was not reached lightly. I understand the commitment to service which is expected of me by the voters of District 18. However, occasionally an opportunity comes along that provides the chance to continue serving the district, but also to elevate that service to the county as a whole. Know that Gary and I have no plans to move anywhere else (why would we want to?) and look forward to continuing service through Belmont-Hillsboro Neighbors and with our next council member.

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement during both my campaign and my tenure as district 18 council member. I look forward to working with you as council member for the next month, then as an active citizen and public servant of Nashville thereafter.

I know he'll do a great job in his new gig, and I was very happy to have him as my district councilman. We've been really fortunate to have some good public servants represent us over the years - Betty Nixon, Stewart Clifton, Ginger Hausser Pepper and Durbin among them. I feel confident we'll have another fine leader to add to that list soon.

You Are Invited

Continue Progress, Blaze New Paths

My boss and friend Howard Gentry has an editorial in today's Tennessean with some suggestions for Mayor-Elect Karl Dean. Read it here.

A Good Idea

I was told yesterday that Karl Dean's inauguration will be held at the Parthenon on Friday. If that's true I'm glad to hear it won't be at Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet where Bill Purcell was sworn in to start his first term in 1999. I remember how tough it was to find parking for that ceremony. And if the weather cooperates it will be a great setting for the start of Mr. Dean's administration.

UPDATE I: Adam Kleinheider's source says it's not true.

UPDATE II: Kay Brooks finds out the confirmed location of Friday's ceremony - the courthouse. Once again, I'm glad it's not at Hume-Fogg: the courthouse parking garage is a better option than the parking opportunities around that school.

Quite A Night

The votes have been cast and tallied. On Sept. 21 it will be Mayor Karl Dean joining Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors and a Metro Council that will be led by At-Large Members Tim Garrett, Megan Barry, Charlie Tygard, Ronnie Steine and Jerry Maynard.

While my first choice for mayor was my boss and friend Howard Gentry, I think Mr. Dean has the makings of a fine chief executive for Music City USA and I was glad to cast my runoff vote accordingly. And as a strong supporter of Barry and Maynard, I was very happy to see them come first and fourth in the at-large runoff tonight.

May all these folks, and the others elected tonight and in August, give their best to make a great city even greater. My observations of these candidates on the campaign trail makes me feel optimistic that they will serve Nashville well.

Working My Polling Place

I just got back from holding a sign and greeting voters for Council-At-Large candidate Megan Barry at St. Bernard Academy. The three boxes there are part of the 18th District, and our new councilman Keith Durbin showed up - wearing a Jason Holleman t-shirt in support of the latter's District 24 runoff today with Katherine Beasley.

I was there from 10:45 AM to 1:30 PM, and except for a brief appearance by a Bob Clement volunteer, the only other poll worker at my polling place was encourging folks to vote for Saletta Holloway.

Karl Dean took St. Bernard overwhelmingly in August, with Clement finishing a distant third behind Dean and David Briley. I guess that's why Dean's volunteers were elsewhere. And they didn't miss too many people - less than 300 had voted by noon in the three boxes at St. Bernard, according to election officials at the site. But visibility does matter - the fellow working for Holloway and I were both told by some who came to vote they were voting for our candidates because they saw us holding signs. In a race like this one, such small things make a difference.