Ringgold native and former Councilman Deryl Lamar Bryson announced he will enter the race to fill the unexpired term of the late vice mayor, Tom Clark.

“I just love helping people,” Mr. Bryson said. “It’s what I feel like I’m supposed to be doing.”

Mr. Bryson, 50, served as a Ringgold councilman in the early 1990s. He served for a time with his father, the late Leroy Bryson, who served for 21 years before stepping down in 1995.

Lamar Bryson lost races for a seat on the council in 1997 and 2001. He attributed the defeats to the difficulty of beating incumbents and to some personal problems that affected his campaigns.

A street supervisor in the Fort Oglethorpe Roads Department, Mr. Bryson said he is eager to work with Fort Oglethorpe and Catoosa County officials to help the whole county move forward.

“The elected officials of those governments have never been able to work together before now,” he said.

Mr. Bryson worked for Catoosa County government for 17 years before going to work for Fort Oglethorpe in 1998.

Council members are paid $300 a month. The mayor receives $500, and the vice mayor makes $325 a month.

Ringgold businessman Lee A. Tubbs announced his candidacy for the seat earlier this month.

Mr. Clark died March 12.