Vidalia Qualifying to Be Held this Week

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The city of Vidalia will hold qualifying from Wednesday, April 23, until Friday, April 25, as the Council seeks candidates to fulfill the unexpired term of late Mayor Pro-Tem John Raymond Turner, which will end in 2028.

During the Vidalia City Council meeting on Monday, April 14, the Council authorized the City to call a special election to be held on Tuesday, June 17, to fill the Council’s vacancy. Prior to the vote on the action, Mayor Doug Roper addressed the timing of the decision.

“We realize it’s quick notice, but by having the election in June, we will still be meeting the mandates of the state and our city charter,” Roper told the attendees. “There is already an election scheduled for June, and if we didn’t do it in June, we’d be looking at September where there isn’t an election scheduled and that would cost almost $30,000. We don’t want to prolong the election into November.”

Qualifying will begin on Wednesday morning and will run until 12 p.m. on Friday, April 25, at the Toombs County Board of Elections and Registration Office within the Toombs County Courthouse. The qualifying fee is $162.

Those wishing to qualify for the position must live within Ward 3 of the city. To learn more about the ward’s boundaries, call (912) 537-7661.