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Most incumbents prevail; Forest Hills mayor’s race tied
By Derek Hodges and Lynn Hotaling
Voters in Jackson County’s four towns have spoken, and Sylva, Dillsboro and Webster will each have at least two new board members but keep their current mayors.
Forest Hills, on the other hand, returned incumbent board members, but its mayoral race ended in a tie.
Preliminary returns indicate that Sylva Mayor Brenda Oliver, Dillsboro Mayor Jean Hartbarger and Webster Mayor Steve Gray will all serve another term.
Forest Hills Mayor Jim Davis was deadlocked with challenger Sue Burton (41 votes apiece) after votes were counted Tuesday night (Nov. 8).
Sylva’s mayoral race was decided by the widest margin. Oliver drew 173 votes, while challenger Danny Allen garnered 81.
Joining Sylva’s board will be newcomers Stacy Knotts and Harold Hensley. Both were virtually assured of winning the election after incumbent board member Anne Cabe resigned her seat and withdrew from the race two weeks ago.
In Dillsboro, incumbents Bud Smith and Mike Fitzgerald won re-election. Elected for the first time were Jim Dukes, Jimmy Cabe and John Faulk. Incumbent Jim Cochran was the only sitting town board member to be defeated Tuesday. Two other incumbents, Emma Wertenberger and Lela Jean Phillips, chose not to file for re-election, though Wertenberger announced a write-in campaign for town board.
Webster’s mayoral race was decided by 11 votes. Steve Gray finished with 71 to Sam Gray’s 60.
A close race for the five Webster town board seats ended in the election of incumbents Louise Bedford, Billie Bryson and Jean Davenport. Joining them on the board will be newcomers Barbara Collins and Laura Spaulding. Current members Raymond Ledford and Kirk Stephens did not file for re-election.
Forest Hills residents may not know the identity of their next mayor for a couple of weeks. If Davis and Burton are still even after the official canvass on Tuesday, Nov. 15, lots will be drawn by Board of Elections officials to determine which one becomes mayor.
While results from the Forest Hills mayor’s race are still up in the air, totals in Dillsboro’s mayoral contest may also be called into question. Candidate T.J. Walker said Tuesday night a challenge may be filed in that contest.
“I may not personally challenge the results, but it may be challenged, and I would support that,” Walker said.
Specifically, the challenge could be based on the fact that three write-in votes in the mayor’s race were cast for Wertenberger, who was a write-in candidate for town board, Walker said. Since the margin between Hartbarger (28 votes) and Walker (25 votes) was only three, the race would have been a tie if those votes for Wertenberger had gone to Walker.
In addition to what Walker believes could have been votes for someone not in the mayoral race cast by confused citizens, he also said the presence of town clerk Herb Nolan at the town hall polling place could be grounds to contest the election. Nolan was not a candidate and did no campaigning during the voting. He told The Herald he had only reported to work according to his regular schedule.
Vote totals for the town board races are shown below.
Dillsboro: Jimmy Cabe, 49 votes; Mike Fitzgerald, 43; Jim Dukes, 39; John Faulk, 35; Bud Smith, 30; Jim Cochran, 23; Emma Wertenberger (write-in), 19; and Charlie Wise (write-in), 7.
Forest Hills: Jim Wallace, 65; and Dick Iobst, 62.
Sylva: Stacy Knotts, 205; and Harold Hensley, 164.
Webster: Jean Davenport, 82; Louise Bedford, 81; Billie Bryson, 77; Barbara Collins, 69; Laura Spaulding, 66; Frances Berry, 58; Sharon Myers, 58; Neil Morgan (write-in), 53; and Dawn Breakiron, 20.
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