CORINTH — Seven people have expressed interest in the City Council’s Place 1 vacancy, including two recent but unsuccessful candidates for Place 2.

Six of the seven prospective nominees expressed an interest via e-mail, according to documents obtained through an open records request.

The seat has been vacant since May, when Paul Ruggiere won the mayor’s race halfway through his second term on the City Council.

Those residents who e-mailed either the mayor or one of the council members declaring their interest are businessman J. Neil Admire, attorney Gilland Chenault, banker Lisa Clawson, Randy Gibbons, firefighter Mark Klingele and businesswoman Sherry Schneider. Gary McDonald, a member of the city’s economic development corporation, declared his interest verbally, Ruggiere said.

Clawson and Schneider made unsuccessful bids for council seats — Clawson in 2007 and Schneider in 2009.

Both challenged Jim Mayfield — Clawson against Mayfield as he first sought to replace his wife, Lynn Mayfield, on the council, and Schneider as Jim Mayfield filed for a second term.

In an e-mail dated June 2, Clawson said she couldn’t officially apply until she received clearance from her employer, which she was actively seeking.

The possible appointment of a Place 1 council member has been on the council’s agenda continually since the May election, but Ruggiere said the council has not discussed the matter at every meeting.

He said the council met once to bring all the candidates’ names to the table and did not meet again on the subject until a special-called meeting June 29.

“That was our first in-depth discussion on the merits of the candidates,” Ruggiere said.

However, when that meeting reconvened in open session, no one nominated a candidate to take the seat.

When the council met during its regular meeting Thursday, the possibility of Place 1 deliberations was on the agenda again. However, Ruggiere announced that because Mayfield was absent, they would not go into closed session.

After the meeting, Ruggiere said he was hopeful that the council would appoint someone at its next regular meeting July 16.

PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881. Her e-mail is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com .