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‘Green team’ wins seats on council
Mercer, Jennings, Brooks, Woolard and Davis prevail
By MIKE VOSS
Contributing Editor
Washington voters threw their support behind a group of candidates who said they want to work to protect the downtown waterfront and keep existing green space on the waterfront as open space for the public to use.
On Election Day, voters chose Doug Mercer, Archie Jennings, Richard Brooks, Darwin Woolard and Gil Davis to serve on the next City Council, which takes office next month. Jennings, Brooks and Woolard are incumbent council members. Mercer is a former councilman. Davis has never held an elected position.
Vote totals from Tuesday night are unofficial. The Beaufort County Board of Elections will canvass the ballots Tuesday. In Washington, 1,476 voters marked ballots in this election.
Mayor Judy Meier Jennette, unopposed in her re-election bid, will serve a second two-year term. She received 972 votes.
Mercer was the top vote-getter in the council race, collecting 985 votes (15.84 percent). Jennings followed with 925 votes (14.88 percent), Brooks with 919 votes (14.78 percent), Woolard with 879 votes (14.14 percent) and Davis with 869 votes (13.98 percent).
If the council-elect follows Washington tradition, it will choose Mercer as the next mayor pro tempore, who runs council meetings when the mayor is absent.
Falling short in their bids for seats on the council were Tom Atkins, 515 votes (8.28 percent); John Tate, 422 votes (6.79 percent); Dot Moate, 375 votes (6.03 percent) and Mickey Gahagan, 328 votes (5.28 percent).
The possible sale and development of city-owned property, especially in the city’s downtown and waterfront areas, and development of private property in those areas became issues in the election. Development supporters took out advertisements endorsing a slate of opponents, with development opponents doing the same to endorse another slate of candidates.
Development supporters endorsed “growth-minded candidates” Jennette, Woolard, Gahagan, Tate, Atkins and Moate.
Other advertisements sought votes for what’s been unofficially termed the “green team” — Jennings, Brooks, Davis and Mercer — saying they would work to protect the downtown waterfront from inappropriate development and keep existing green space on the waterfront as open space for the public to use.
“I think the voters said they are not satisfied with the way things are going now and they want a change,” Mercer said about a hour after the vote totals were posted.
Mercer said he hoped to finish in the top five so he could claim a seat on the council.
“It’s a surprise. I was amazed I was the top vote-getter,” Mercer said.
Mercer said he’s ready to begin improving the city.
“Obviously, there’s a lot on the plate,” Mercer said.
The first thing that needs to be done is to get the city on firm financial footing so it has the resources to address other matters, Mercer said.
“I think it was a clear mandate from the public that they want to have a voice in their government,” Jennings said.
Jennings said he believes voters also sent a message about growth in the city.
“I think they want growth. I think that want the growth to be controlled and strategic,” Jennings said. “I don’t think they want developers driving the deal. They want the city to have a plan.”
“I didn’t expect it,” Davis said Tuesday night. “I knew it was going to be close.”
Asked if he believed the most city voters were sending a message about how they want the city to approach development in the downtown and waterfront areas, Davis said, “I think they were.”
“My feeling is the voters have had their say about what they expect,” Brooks said moments after the unofficial vote totals were reported. “With their help, we can accomplish what they want.”
“It’s a pleasure to be able to serve the people for two more years,” Woolard said. “I am happy they have confidence in me for two more years.”
Mercer didn’t carry any of the four precincts in the city, but he collected the most votes from the early voting period and absentee ballots. Brooks carried Ward 1, where 231 ballots were marked, with 159 votes. Woolard carried Ward 2, where 236 voters marked ballots, with 169 votes. Brooks carried the P.S. Jones/Ward 3 precinct, where 210 people voted, with 144 votes. Jennings carried Ward 4, where 412 voters marked ballots, with 293 votes.
“All in all, it was a good election,” said Kellie Harris Hopkins, elections director for Beaufort County.
There were no problems with voting machines used at the 10 precincts, she said. There were several residency issues with some people who wanted to vote, Hopkins said. Some people who live in the county but not one of its municipalities tried to vote, but they were prevented from doing so because they are not eligible to vote in a municipal election, she said.
By MIKE VOSS
Contributing Editor
Washington voters threw their support behind a group of candidates who said they want to work to protect the downtown waterfront and keep existing green space on the waterfront as open space for the public to use.
On Election Day, voters chose Doug Mercer, Archie Jennings, Richard Brooks, Darwin Woolard and Gil Davis to serve on the next City Council, which takes office next month. Jennings, Brooks and Woolard are incumbent council members. Mercer is a former councilman. Davis has never held an elected position.
Vote totals from Tuesday night are unofficial. The Beaufort County Board of Elections will canvass the ballots Tuesday. In Washington, 1,476 voters marked ballots in this election.
Mayor Judy Meier Jennette, unopposed in her re-election bid, will serve a second two-year term. She received 972 votes.
Mercer was the top vote-getter in the council race, collecting 985 votes (15.84 percent). Jennings followed with 925 votes (14.88 percent), Brooks with 919 votes (14.78 percent), Woolard with 879 votes (14.14 percent) and Davis with 869 votes (13.98 percent).
If the council-elect follows Washington tradition, it will choose Mercer as the next mayor pro tempore, who runs council meetings when the mayor is absent.
Falling short in their bids for seats on the council were Tom Atkins, 515 votes (8.28 percent); John Tate, 422 votes (6.79 percent); Dot Moate, 375 votes (6.03 percent) and Mickey Gahagan, 328 votes (5.28 percent).
The possible sale and development of city-owned property, especially in the city’s downtown and waterfront areas, and development of private property in those areas became issues in the election. Development supporters took out advertisements endorsing a slate of opponents, with development opponents doing the same to endorse another slate of candidates.
Development supporters endorsed “growth-minded candidates” Jennette, Woolard, Gahagan, Tate, Atkins and Moate.
Other advertisements sought votes for what’s been unofficially termed the “green team” — Jennings, Brooks, Davis and Mercer — saying they would work to protect the downtown waterfront from inappropriate development and keep existing green space on the waterfront as open space for the public to use.
“I think the voters said they are not satisfied with the way things are going now and they want a change,” Mercer said about a hour after the vote totals were posted.
Mercer said he hoped to finish in the top five so he could claim a seat on the council.
“It’s a surprise. I was amazed I was the top vote-getter,” Mercer said.
Mercer said he’s ready to begin improving the city.
“Obviously, there’s a lot on the plate,” Mercer said.
The first thing that needs to be done is to get the city on firm financial footing so it has the resources to address other matters, Mercer said.
“I think it was a clear mandate from the public that they want to have a voice in their government,” Jennings said.
Jennings said he believes voters also sent a message about growth in the city.
“I think they want growth. I think that want the growth to be controlled and strategic,” Jennings said. “I don’t think they want developers driving the deal. They want the city to have a plan.”
“I didn’t expect it,” Davis said Tuesday night. “I knew it was going to be close.”
Asked if he believed the most city voters were sending a message about how they want the city to approach development in the downtown and waterfront areas, Davis said, “I think they were.”
“My feeling is the voters have had their say about what they expect,” Brooks said moments after the unofficial vote totals were reported. “With their help, we can accomplish what they want.”
“It’s a pleasure to be able to serve the people for two more years,” Woolard said. “I am happy they have confidence in me for two more years.”
Mercer didn’t carry any of the four precincts in the city, but he collected the most votes from the early voting period and absentee ballots. Brooks carried Ward 1, where 231 ballots were marked, with 159 votes. Woolard carried Ward 2, where 236 voters marked ballots, with 169 votes. Brooks carried the P.S. Jones/Ward 3 precinct, where 210 people voted, with 144 votes. Jennings carried Ward 4, where 412 voters marked ballots, with 293 votes.
“All in all, it was a good election,” said Kellie Harris Hopkins, elections director for Beaufort County.
There were no problems with voting machines used at the 10 precincts, she said. There were several residency issues with some people who wanted to vote, Hopkins said. Some people who live in the county but not one of its municipalities tried to vote, but they were prevented from doing so because they are not eligible to vote in a municipal election, she said.
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