(Posted March 7, 2018)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
London city council is back to a full roster.
On March 6, the London representatives of the Madison County Republican Central Committee appointed Andrew Hitt and Anthony Smith to the vacant Ward 1 and Ward 3 seats, respectively.
Hitt replaces Trint Hatt who resigned in mid-January due to work and family obligations. Smith replaces Lora Long, who resigned in late-January to fill a vacancy at the city auditor position.
Hitt and Smith will serve out the remainder of the terms, both of which expire at the end of 2019.
Hitt was the only individual who expressed an interest in the Ward 1 seat. He is a 1984 graduate of Cedarville University where he majored in psychology and behavioral science and minored in Bible and education. A licensed social worker, he has worked for Mental Health Services for Clark and Madison Counties since 1984. He has been a London resident for the past nine years.
As for why he was interested in the council seat, he said, “I wanted to be more involved with what’s going on in the city.”
Smith was one of four individuals who threw their hats in the ring for the Ward 3 seat. The others were Jereme Collins, Amy Gould and John Stahl.
Nick Adkins, central committee chair, said the decision was difficult, but that Smith stood out for his work in the community, his reliability, and his articulation of how he would help council to move the city forward.
Smith earned an associate’s degree in theology in 2011 from Antioch Baptist Seminary. He is pastor at Revive Baptist Church and a service advisor at Buckeye Ford. He has volunteered for and been involved with London’s summer movie series, London Rib & Jazz Fest, Old Fashioned Christmas, Strawberry Festival, Downtown London Association, and London Community Organization.
“This city has had such an impact on my life since moving here five years ago,” Smith said. “Pastoring Revive Baptist has opened my eyes to the needs of the city, and I want to be as big a part of that as I can… I hope to make a difference here in London because I love the people here.”
Hitt and Smith will attend their first city council meeting as members of council on March 15.
