Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

At the end of a long LaGrange City Council agenda for the first meeting of the year, the LaGrange city council voted to appoint Councilman Dr. Tom Gore as mayor pro-tem among a slew of other appointments.

Gore was appointed unanimously, though the mayor pro-tem is typically done by rotation among the council.

“We rotate it from District 1 to District 2 each year. District 2 was mayor pro-tem this past year. So it is District 1’s turn this time,” Mayor Jim Arrington said.

Arrington explained that over the years the council has traditionally rotated the mayor pro-tem selection between the districts and council members. A council member’s turn usually comes around about every six years.

Councilmember Nathan Gaskin clarified that the rotation is only tradition and at the end of the day the mayor pro-tem is confirmed via a council vote.

The council also voted to set qualifying fees for the November 2025 municipal elections.

State law requires that the qualifying fee in a general election year be established and published before Feb. 1. With the new mayor’s salary being upped to $27,500, the qualification fee to run for mayor was set at $825. The qualification fee for council members will remain $288.

Qualification fees are limited by state law at 3 percent of the annual salary of the position.

In other business, the council appointed:

4 Donny Dukes to a five-year term on the Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals.

4 Kimble Carter to a five-year term on the LaGrange Development Authority.

4 Melissa Robertson to a one-year term on the LaGrange-Troup County Memorial Park Board.

4 James Baker to a one-year term as Municipal Court Judge.

4 Tom Gore to a one-year term on the Records Committee.

4 Leon Childs, Darby Pippin, Tom Gore, Mark Mitchell, Nathan Gaskin, Jim Arrington and Quay Boddie to a one-year term on the Solid Waste Management Authority.

4 Wayne Pittman to a three-year term on the Troup Council on Aging.

4 Anita Holle to a three-year term on the Troup County Parks & Recreation Commission.

4 Willie Bradfield to a one-year term on the Troup County FEMA Board.

4 Leon Childs, Darby Pippin, Tom Gore, Mark Mitchell, Nathan Gaskin, JimArrington and Quay Boddie  to a one-year term on the LaGrange Governmental Finance Corporation.