Qualifying for the March special election for the position of Mayor of Dawsonville begins on Monday.

The election, to be held March 20, will fill the vacancy of former mayor James Grogan, who was forced from the seat by a vote of city council in May of last year and was officially booted in early October after his appeal to the Superior Court was denied.

The elected mayor will serve the remainder of Grogan’s unexpired term, until Dec. 31, 2019. 

In late October Grogan, 75, announced his intention to run for mayor again.

Grogan said Tuesday he still intends to qualify for the position and if elected would be ready to work with the new council and move forward.

“There’s a lot of things I started that I want to continue to work on and some new things I’d like to do,” Grogan said.

Grogan served on the city council from 2010 to 2012, and was appointed acting mayor in April 2012 after the death of Joe Lane Cox. He won the July 31, 2012 special election and was re-elected in 2015 for a four-year term.

If re-elected Grogan would join a different city council than the one that ousted him; Angie Smith, who voted to remove Grogan from office, as well as Mike Sosebee, who voted against removing Grogan from office, have been replaced by new council members Mark French and Stephen Tolson.

Jason Power and Caleb Phillips remain on the council, and both voted to remove Grogan as mayor.

Recently appointed as acting mayor, Mike Eason will serve until the new mayor is sworn in April 9.

Eason said Tuesday he is still undecided on if he will qualify for the mayor seat or not.

Eason, 67, was formerly the City of Cumming police chief and retired in 2002 from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

A vote by city council recently decreased the base salary for the mayor position from $24,000 a year to $7,200.

Qualifying dates are set from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Jan. 8 through Jan. 11. at the Dawson County Board of Elections office.

The board of elections office is located at 96 Academy Avenue in Dawsonville. The qualifying fee is $720 and can be paid by check or money order to the city of Dawsonville.

Only city residents can vote, and anyone who is not registered to vote must register before close of business Feb. 20. Polls will be open at the board of elections office from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 20.