New Carthage mayor taking office this week

By Eddie West Staff Writer

Carthage Vice Mayor Sam Gray was scheduled to be sworn-in as the town’s newest mayor this week.

This comes as Mayor Anthony Hackett has resigned the position, noting he was asked to do so by his employer. Former Mayor Hackett announced his resignation at the end of Thursday night’s November city council meeting. A resident and native of Carthage, Hackett, is an insurance agent who works in Lafayette. Meanwhile, Gray will become the third person to hold the Carthage mayoral seat this year which is likely a first for the town.

Elected to the city’s council last year, Hackett was serving as the city’s vice mayor when former Mayor Steve Babcock took medical leave from the seat earlier this year. Hackett filled in as mayor during Babcock’s absence and was appointed to the mayor’s seat this summer when the former mayor (Babcock) resigned. Former mayor Babcock’s term expires in November of next year.

When former Mayor Hackett was seated to the position of mayor by the city’s council, Gray was selected as vice mayor.

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