ALTUS -- Don Johnson, who served as the city's mayor for a year and a half before resigning abruptly during a city council meeting in August 1997, has filed for the two-year unexpired term on the city council for Ward IV.

"When I resigned from the mayor's office, I disappointed a lot of people," Johnson said. "Every day I have regretted that decision. I try to forget it, but I can't."

So, he explained this morning, he wants to begin anew, on a clean slate, and work for the city's future.

First of all, Johnson said, he wants to follow up on the noise ordinance he spurred discussion on during the last meeting of the council Feb. 1.

Johnson had written a letter to city officials on Jan. 20 laying out his complaint about the noise emanating from boom boxes at the American Car Wash across the field from he lives.

Addressing the council that night, Johnson urged officials to come up with ordinances that would alleviate the problem. The council agreed to appoint a committee to further study ways to legally curb the aggravating noise.

Also, Johnson said, he wants to make sure the Altus Comprehensive Plan 2025 -- the 20-year plan that envisions new strategies for land use, transportation, parks and recreation, community appearance and growth policies in the city -- is implemented.

"We spend a lot of money in the city," he said, adding that he would work closely with Geno Redmon, Altus' director of military and economic development, to ensure that the money is spent well.

Born and raised in Altus, Johnson retired from the U.S. Army after 20 years as a command sergeant major, the highest achievable rank of Army non-commissioned officers. He taught at the community college for about 20 years and for the past 10 years he has been the public relations director at Southwest Technology Center.

"I want to start out as a new kid on the block," Johnson said about his aspiration to work again with council members, "and to earn my respect and graduate with them."

A nonpartisan general municipal election is set for April 5 to elect council representatives to at-large four-year terms in the city's four wards, and at-large two year terms in wards 2 and 4.

Declarations of candidacy for the posts will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 7, 8 and 9. Ward 4 encompasses roughly the area bordered on the north by Constitution Drive, east to include Altus Air Force Base, south almost to Broadway and on the west by Veterans Drive.

Also filing their candidacies by the end of the day Tuesday were Chris E. Kliewer and incumbent Bobby Richardson in Ward 1, incumbents Robert Beers and Sid Willis for two different seats in Ward 2, incumbent Donald Jouett in Ward 3 and incumbent Dean Garrett for the other Ward 4 seat.