Draper Supervisor Dean Pratt announces he won’t seek re-election to a fifth term
Draper Supervisor Dean Pratt dropped a bombshell Monday night when he announced he would not be seeking a fifth term on the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors.
The Democratic Vice Chairman of the board made his announcement at the end of the supervisors’ monthly meeting for January.
“It’s been an honor and a privilege to be on the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors, but I have decided this will be my last term,” Pratt told his fellow board members and a sparse audience.
Pratt continued that he would not run for re-election, but rather “concentrate on my farm and on getting it to where it needs to be.”
Pratt will have served 16 years – four full terms – on the board when his current term ends Dec. 31.
“I talked with (former Supervisors Chairman) Joe Sheffey today and told him I wasn’t going to follow his lead of 28 years on the board,” Pratt said. He said, instead, he was following the lead of Frank Conner who also served 16 years.
Current Board Chairman Andy McCready told Pratt he had been a tremendous help to him during McCready’s seven years on the board.
“You have been outstanding with your work on this board and you will definitely be missed,” McCready said. Noting Pratt has served as the board’s Vice Chairman for the past two years, McCready said the “knowledge, style and preparation you’ve made when you come to these meetings has been a tremendous asset to this board and this community.”
McCready told Pratt he understands how the many things board members must do and tolerate sometimes can be difficult.
“Thank you for your service and the tremendous help you have been to me over this time,” McCready closed.
Fellow board members Charles Bopp, Ranny O’Dell and Joe Guthrie echoed McCready’s sentiments.
Guthrie noted Pratt’s decision to not seek re-election would mark the end of his service to the county, and for him to be prepared to serve in the future on different committees for the county.
Besides the Board of Supervisors, Pratt presently serves on the county’s Planning Commission and as a member of the Draper Park Board.
The next General Election, set for Nov. 5, will feature the election of five Board of Supervisors members, five School Board members and will fill the Constitutional Offices of Commonwealth’s Attorney, Sheriff, Commissioner of the Revenue and Treasurer.
In his last race in 2015, Pratt easily won re-election in a three-way race in the Draper District. Pratt won with 652 votes (51 percent) to 274 votes for Andy Hullender (29 percent) and 249 votes (20 percent) for Ron Coake.
By MIKE WILLIAMS, The Patriot
