UPDATED 10:39 p.m. — With only 250 mailed in absentee ballots and one early voting machine left to be tallied, it is certain that county commission challengers Steve Brown and Allen McCarty have upset incumbents Jack Smith and Eric Maxwell. Bob Todd also held onto his seat on the Fayette County Board of Education.
Brown has 7,420 votes to incumbent Jack Smith’s 6,506 votes in the Post 4 commission race. In Post 5, McCarty has a 7,415 to 6,236 edge over incumbent Eric Maxwell.
Incumbent Board of Education member Bob Todd has retained a significant lead with 8,446 to 5,200 compiled by challenger Charlie Cave.
With 250 mail-in absentee ballots left to be counted and another 50 or so votes from the single outstanding early voting machine, there isn’t enough room for a change in the totals to switch any candidate’s fortune.
All of the above contested races are among Republicans who face no Democratic challengers in November.
Also up for a local decision tonight, Fayetteville voters weighed in on a measure to create special tax allocation districts to spur redevelopment of several commercial areas off Ga. Highway 85 just north of downtown. The initiative appeared headed for a defeat, with the “no” votes leading 1,148 to 1,012.
Brown, a former Peachtree City mayor and McCarty, a relative newcomer, are certain to shake up the current board of commissioners. The two campaigned together, in large part on a bid to halt the West Fayetteville Bypass project. To do so, however, they will need to convince one of the remaining three sitting commissioners: Lee Hearn, Herb Frady or Robert Horgan.
