Putnam County Commissioners appointed former commissioner Gene Mullins Monday to fill a vacant commission seat for District 10.
Mullins will replace Terry Randolph. Mullins had previously served on the commission from 2002 to 2010. Mullins said he has lived in the District for 33 years and wants to serve the place he calls home.
“You’ve got people for whom a tax increase would be, oh, I’ve got the money to cover that, and I’ve been in houses where a tax increase would mean the difference between do I have to choose between food or medicine this week,” Mullins said. “I want to serve those people.”
Mullins and Grayson Cupit were the only candidates up for consideration. Cupit said he has an engineering background, but is also a small business owner. Cupit said Putnam County is at an inflection point with its rapid growth and will soon face many challenges. Cupit said that he could give the commission a fresh perspective.
“If we were to rise to meet this moment, these challenges will require creative solutions and fresh perspectives,” Cupit said. “It will require hard work. And if appointed as a county commissioner, I promise to give myself wholly to that work.”
The commission unanimously voted to appoint Mullins, with Commissioner Theresa Hayes abstaining from the vote. Mullins was sworn in immediately after being appointed.
The commission will have to fill another vacant seat in January after accepting the resignation of District Seven Commissioner David Mattson.
In other business, the commission approved the 2024 International Building Codes. Porter said the resolution also including include accessibility codes, energy codes, gas codes, and residential codes.
The commission approved a proposal from the Road Committee to set the speed limit on Overstreet Drive to 25mph.
The commission approved to surplus six vehicles from the Sheriff’s Office.