District 11 has a new constable. Raymond Roberts is out and is being replaced by Mark Stewart.
Warren County Commissioners accepted the written resignation of Roberts on Monday night. Immediately following, they accepted a recommendation by the county Safety Committee to appoint Stewart. Both measures passed unanimously 22-0. Absent from the meeting were commissioners Gary Prater and Billy Earl Jones.
Safety Committee members met Nov. 2 to consider the resignation letter. Roberts was elected in August 2014 to a four-year term. What remains of Roberts’ term, will be placed on the ballot in 2016. The person elected at that time will serve the remaining two years.
Roberts defeated Stewart by 51 votes. Stewart contacted the county and expressed a desire to serve until the election in order to prevent the district from being without a constable.
Tank Young, District 2 Constable and president of the Constables Association, says Stewart will have to undergo the same qualifying process as an individual who is elected – background check, 40 hours of in-service, qualify to carry a firearm, join a state association, be bonded, approval by the sheriff, etc.
The only monkey wrench in the process, says Young, is the in-service requirement because no class is available until April 2016. Until Stewart can complete all the requirements, he can hold the office but he will be prevented from performing any of the duties of constable until they are met.
If Stewart enters that 2016 election and remains as District 11 Constable, he’ll have to undergo the process again.