Two men have qualified to run in the Nov. 4 election to fill the now-vacant District 3 Red Bank City Commission seat opened by the death of Vice Mayor and District 3 Commissioner Ronnie Moore.

Chris Dorsey, Red Bank city manager, said two people met all qualifications and likely will be on the ballot.

Greg Jones, recently retired from the U.S. Air Force, has qualified and so has Dallas Rucker Jr., the city of Chattanooga’s head code enforcement officer.

Mayor Joe Glasscock said a third person applied, but did not live in District 3.

Qualification for the office began Aug. 20, the day after commissioners sent a letter to the Hamilton County Election Board declaring the seat open. Qualification ends Sept. 10, Mr. Dorsey said.

Mr. Moore, a longtime Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter, died Aug. 15 in the Krakow, Poland, airport. Having retired a couple of weeks earlier after 38 years with the paper, he was on a European tour with his wife, Diane.

Candidates for the City Commission seat must be residents of Red Bank’s District 3, though the entire city will vote for the candidate, Mr. Dorsey said. The candidate also must be eligible to vote in Red Bank, he said.

The term will last until 2010, when Mr. Moore would have faced re-election.

Two other Red Bank Commission members also will be on the ballot, although they are unopposed. Qualification already has ended to oppose Ruth Jeno, an at-large commission member, and Monty Millard, the District 2 commissioner.

“Being on the council just takes a real desire to serve the community,” Mr. Glasscock said. “It sure isn’t a lucrative position. Since it only pays $200 a month, that barely covers the gas expense. I do it because I love Red Bank.”

Commissioners field many community calls for assistance and attend twice-monthly meetings and various state training for the position, Mr. Glasscock said, but there is no education requirement.

Unlike Chattanooga and most other cities in Hamilton County, Red Bank residents do not elect the mayor. Mr. Glasscock was elected as an at-large commissioner and the other commission members voted to make him mayor. That also was the case for Mr. Moore, who served as vice mayor until his death and previously served as mayor.

Mr. Dorsey said commission members will vote for a new mayor and vice mayor at the first meeting after the November election.

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