From a field of four candidates, Shawn Taylor and Todd Shuck secured the Republican nominations for Franklin City Council at large.
Incumbent Shawn Taylor held onto his seat with 28% of the vote, while Shuck, with 40% of the vote, will join him in the other at-large seat on the seven-member council.
Shuck replaces Bob Heuchan on the council after he decided not to run for office again.
Growth in the city was a major issue for voters this election, they told the Daily Journal at the polls.
On growth, Taylor said during an interview earlier this year: “I think it’ll slow a little bit because a lot of the housing things that are coming in now were already plotted long before I got here … I don’t know how many more places are really talking about putting in a really big neighborhood. Unless the farmers really want to sell all the farmland that’s about where we are right now within the city. There are really not too many holes to build,” Taylor said. “So, I think it was it’ll slowly still grow. I don’t want it to become stagnant by any means. And we need to have some new housing, but we also need to have some different looking housing, some different neighborhoods and things like that.”
On growth, Shuck said during an interview earlier this year: “That comes up quite a bit from my clients, my family, neighbors, friends; they all want to know where are we headed. I think the city is going to continue to grow; we just have to make sure that it’s the right type of growth for what we’re trying to accomplish here,” Shuck said. “I think most people would agree that Franklin gives you that hometown feel. And it’s kind of really why we all gravitate (here) … You have to figure out where you want to be. Do you want 10,000 more people to come in here and live? Do you want the schools to get bigger? We always want bigger, but we also want we want better so we have to balance that.”
The single-member district seats on the council were also on the ballot, but none of the incumbents were challenged. Current members Josh Prine, District 1; Anne McGuinness, District 2; Jennifer Price, District 3; Ken Austin, District 4, and Irene Nalley, District 5 have all secured the Republican nomination for their seat. For Prine, Price and Nalley, who were caucused into their seats since the last municipal election, this marks the first time they’ve been elected.
No Democrat or third-party candidate has filed to run for city council so far this election, but candidates may still be slated for the General Election.
HOW YOU VOTED
Franklin City Council
Black: 15%
Shilts: 17%
Shuck: 40%
Taylor: 28%
