Hendersonville City Attorney John Bradley and five outgoing aldermen were recognized for their service to the city last week during a reception at Bluegrass Yacht and Country Club.
Bradley, city attorney since 1987, announced earlier this year his plans to retire. Five incumbent aldermen — Peg Petrelli, Lori Phillips, Arlene Cunningham, Steve Brown and Jonathan Hayes — all chose to not seek re-election on Nov. 8.
“If you’ve ever been an alderman or a city attorney you know that your work is not always recognized or appreciated,” Hendersonville Chief of Operations Jesse Eckenroth said. “What aldermen and city attorneys face – it’s not as easy as it appears to be.”
Eckenroth noted that collectively those recognized served more than 70 years.
“But if anyone loves this city … they cannot do so without recognizing the 74 years of service that went into making Hendersonville what it is today,” he said. “Your service has not gone unnoticed.”
A Portland, Tenn., native who graduated from Vanderbilt University and then Columbia Law School, Bradley was hired for the 20-hour-a-week position by the city’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen under then-Mayor Erskine Ausbrooks. He has served under six Hendersonville mayors and more than 60 city aldermen.
Bradley, who also serves as the city attorney for the cities of Portland and Westmoreland, also maintains a private law practice with offices in Hendersonville and Portland.
In the 35 years and nine months Bradley has worked for the city, he missed only one meeting, noted Eckenroth.
Bradley said that the friendships he has made working for the city are invaluable, pointing out several former, retired and current city employees and aldermen who attended the reception.
“I’ve always felt appreciated,” he said. “I never would have stayed this long if I didn’t have that feeling.”
“I am so humbled by this,” he added.
Mayor Jamie Clary, who has had a rocky relationship with Bradley since taking office in 2016, said he will ask board members to appoint former Ward 3 alderman Lance Wray as interim city attorney on Nov. 29.
Five new board members and Incumbent Ward 6 Alderman Eddie Roberson will be sworn at 6:45 p.m. – just before the 7 p.m. meeting that night.
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