Robert Rose receives a plaque from Rutherford County Election Commission Chairman John Taylor in honor of his 22 years of service. Rose retired Monday night and will be replaced by Oscar Gardner.
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After 22 years, Robert Rose retired from his seat as a Democratic Commissioner on the Rutherford County Election Commission Monday Night.
“It’s been a pleasure and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” Rose said of his tenure protecting the voting rights of the people of Rutherford County.
When Rose started with the Rutherford County Election Commission in 1987, only 49,000 people were registered to vote in the county. Last year was that number increase to more than 140,000, Elections Administrator Hooper Penuel said.
“We are going to miss you,” commission chairman John Taylor said to Rose. “The voters of Rutherford County are going to miss you.”
Rose stepped down because of a change at the state level. When Republicans won a majority in the General Assembly in November, the party also gained the privilege of leading election commissions statewide. So, with five members three will now be Republicans and two will be Democrats.
Republican Oscar Gardner, who was appointed to the position by the newly Republican-led Tennessee Election Commission Monday afternoon, will replace Rose.
Current chairman Taylor will step aside and a new chairman will be chosen from the Republican commissioners. Over the years Rose has become a fixture at the election commission and a father figure to Penuel, he said.
“We’re going to miss him but we wish him well in his years to come in the community,” Penuel said.
Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com. |
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