Three candidates threw their hats in the ring for a spot on the Franklin city council.
Melissa (Lisa) Jones, Judith (Judy) Coleman and Brian Hedrick applied to serve the west side of the city as one of seven city council members, said Beth Boyce, chairperson for the Johnson County Republican Party. The party will hold a caucus today to appoint a new member.
Former council member Drew Eggers, who had served on the council since 2016 and was recently elected to serve a second term, stepped down because he is moving out of the city. He submitted his resignation Feb. 14, according to a letter from the Johnson County GOP.
A caucus to replace Eggers is scheduled at 7 p.m. today, in the council chambers at Franklin City Hall, 70 E. Monroe St. Precinct committee members will cast secret ballots until a simple majority select the same candidate. Whoever wins will serve the remainder of the term, which ends Dec. 31, 2023.
Eggers represented District 3, which covers the west side of the city. Any Republican who lives in that district was eligible to apply.
The council sets annual spending for the city, makes policy changes, adopts new local rules and ordinances, approves new taxes and appoints members to various city boards.
Jones, who has served on several of those boards, co-owns Jones and Anderson CPA Group and is a life-long Franklin resident.
Coleman, a registered nurse at Johnson Memorial Hospital, ran against Eggers for a shot at the District 3 seat last spring.
Hedrick is former chief of the New Whiteland Fire Department and now works as a lieutenant with the Indianapolis Fire Department.
