Paduch makes political comeback, enters race for city commission

As the candidate filing deadline nears, another former Johnson City mayor is in the running for the upcoming city commission election, officials confirmed Wednesday. Pete Paduch, who left the commission nearly 20 years ago, made a last-minute decision to enter the race for one of two seats on the city board up for election. The former mayor picked up a petition packet Monday and filed it Wednesday afternoon with all the signatures needed to secure a spot on the ballot, Carter County elections staff confirmed. Paduch said originally, he didn't want to hop back on the campaign trail, but he's had several community members ask him to run for election. "They said, 'you got the time, you got the expertise to do this and ask the tough questions,'" Paduch said Wednesday after dropping off his complete petition packet. "And so I cracked. I said, 'okay, I'll try to be your commissioner. We'll see what happens.'" That makes eight candidates set to be on the ballot so far, according to the latest petition pickup report from the Washington County elections office. Paduch's name doesn't appear on the Washington County petitions report because he filed in Carter County. Paduch said financial responsibility is a key issue he'd like to address if elected to the commission, citing the board's recent approval of a 28-cent property tax rate increase and debt service for an aquatic center. He also noted this as the second tax rate increase the city has passed in the three years, the other implemented in fiscal year 2024. "The people will decide it," he said. "If they want head nodders and people raising their taxes, vote for them. If you want somebody that's going to hold people accountable and let you know what's going on, that's me." Paduch previously served on the commission for 12 years, beginning in 1995. He served as vice mayor 1991 through 2001 and mayor from 2001 to 2005, finishing his third term in 2007. Paduch is not the only person to enter the race for commission in the final hour. Current Johnson City Vice Mayor Jenny Brock picked up a petition Tuesday and filed Wednesday after previously saying she'd retire after her term runs out in December. Brock holds one of the two seats on the ballot for the upcoming city election. The other is held by Commissioner Whitney Goetz, who is one of the seven people set to qualify for the ballot. Candidates who have not yet filed their packets have until noon Thursday to qualify for the ballot. Prospective candidates who've filed to run in November's election have until Aug. 27 to withdraw their application. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 5. Early voting begins Oct. 14. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3 for municipal, state and federal general elections.