On January 5, 2026, Franklin Brown was sworn in as Mayor, and Blake Rainwater and Leigh Johnston were sworn in as Council Members.
Historical recordClarkesvillearchived · completed
Clarkesville council sets $18 qualifying fee for November election, then swears in the winners
The council set an $18 qualifying fee for Mayor and three council seats on the November ballot, and the newly elected officials have now taken office.
Latest
January 5, 2026: Swearing in of Leigh Johnston as Council Member
At a glance
What this means now
The story
The Clarkesville Mayor and City Council voted 5-0 to set qualifying fees of $18.00 for candidates seeking Mayor and Council Member Posts 1, 4 and 5 in the regular election to be held November 4, 2025.
In August 2025 the council discussed election qualifying rules, including whether a sitting council member must vacate a seat if their term ends less than 30 days before a new term starts, and city staff announced the qualifying dates for the election.
On January 5, 2026, Franklin Brown was sworn in as Mayor, and Blake Rainwater and Leigh Johnston were sworn in as Council Members.
What happened
How this issue got here
Open any step for its supporting record. A proposal remains labeled as proposed until later evidence establishes an outcome.
ApprovedunknownQualifying fees of $18.00 for the Nov 4, 2025 election for Mayor and Council Posts 1, 4 and 5
Discuss and Vote to Set Qualifying Fees of $18.00 (Eighteen Dollars) for the
Regular Election Held on November 4, 2025 for Mayor and Council Member Posts 1, 4 and 5
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Qualifying fees of $18.00 for the Nov 4, 2025 election for Mayor and Council Posts 1, 4 and 5
Discuss and Vote to Set Qualifying Fees of $18.00 (Eighteen Dollars) for the Regular Election Held on November 4, 2025 for Mayor and Council Member Posts 1, 4 and 5
Appeared on agendaproposedQualifying fees for November 2025 municipal election (Mayor, Council Posts 1, 4, 5)
Discuss and Vote to Set Qualifying Fees of $18.00 (Eighteen Dollars) for the Regular
Election Held on November 4, 2025 for Mayor and Council Member Posts 1, 4 and 5
+
Qualifying fees for November 2025 municipal election (Mayor, Council Posts 1, 4, 5)
Discuss and Vote to Set Qualifying Fees of $18.00 (Eighteen Dollars) for the Regular Election Held on November 4, 2025 for Mayor and Council Member Posts 1, 4 and 5
Showing 21–22 of 22 recorded steps.
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These links also preserve bookmarks to earlier timeline steps.
- January 5, 2026: Franklin Brown sworn in as Mayor
- January 5, 2026: Franklin Brown sworn in as Mayor
- January 5, 2026: Blake Rainwater sworn in as Council Member
- January 5, 2026: Leigh Johnston sworn in as Council Member
- January 5, 2026: Leigh Johnston sworn in as Council Member
- January 5, 2026: Swearing in of Franklin Brown as Mayor
- January 5, 2026: Blake Rainwater sworn in as Council Member
- January 5, 2026: Swearing in of Blake Rainwater as Council Member
- January 5, 2026: Franklin Brown sworn in as Mayor
- January 5, 2026: Leigh Johnston sworn in as Council Member
- January 5, 2026: Blake Rainwater sworn in as Council Member
- January 5, 2026: Swearing in of Leigh Johnston as Council Member
- August 4, 2025: Election qualifying for upcoming city election
- August 4, 2025: 2025 election qualifying rules and dates
- August 4, 2025: Election law
- August 4, 2025: Election qualifying
- August 4, 2025: Election qualifying rules for sitting Council Members and 2025 primary qualifying dates
- January 6, 2025: Qualifying fees of $18.00 for the November 4, 2025 regular election for Mayor and Council Member Posts 1, 4 and 5
- January 6, 2025: Qualifying fees of $18.00 for the November 4, 2025 regular election for Mayor and Council Member Posts 1, 4 and 5
- January 6, 2025: Qualifying fees of $18.00 for November 4, 2025 election, Mayor and Council Posts 1, 4 and 5
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