Off-year voter turnout lowest in PTC: Under 8%; TAD is defeated 2-1
The November election is over and the winning candidates in Fayetteville, Peachtree City and Tyrone will be sworn in in January. The Nov. 5 contests saw incumbents defeated in Fayetteville and re-elected in Tyrone.
The election in Fayetteville resulted in Mayor Greg Clifton and Councilman Mickey Edwards losing their seats on the City Council.
Mayoral challenger and Post 1 Councilman Ed Johnson received 53.46 percent, or 673 votes, while Clifton had 46.23 percent, or 582 votes.
The Post 2 council race saw incumbent Mickey Edwards receiving 48.06 percent, or 583 votes, and challenger Kathleen Brewer taking home 618 votes, or 50.95 percent.
The Post 1 election, representing the seat vacated by Johnson, saw Harlan Shirley, the only qualifier, receiving 80 percent of the vote. Write-in candidate Mimi Oddo received 19.95 percent of the votes cast.
The voter turnout in Fayetteville was 10.7 percent.
It was at the conclusion of the Nov. 5 City Council meeting that Clifton departed from what are generally seen to be conciliatory comments by those defeated at the polls. Though he did congratulate Johnson, Clifton also noted that a black candidate for mayor was elected in a city with a significant white majority population.
“I still do not understand how you won,” Clifton said at the council meeting. “I have always heard that you can’t beat something with nothing, but your ‘Take Fayetteville to the Next Level’ is about the most nothing slogan I have ever heard.”
In Peachtree City, the race for the Post 1 council seat saw Planning Commissioner Phil Prebor defeating Shayne Robinson. Prebor garnered 1,638 votes, or 78.86 percent, compared to 427 votes, or 20.56 percent, for Robinson.
The referendum of establishing a Tax Allocation District in Peachtree City was defeated handily, with 65.36 percent of voters opposed compared to 34.64 percent in favor.
Post 2 Councilman Mike King had no opposition.
Peachtree City had a voter turnout totaling 7.5 percent of registered voters.
In Tyrone, Mayor Eric Dial won the race against challenger Derrick Jackson. Dial received 68.12 percent, or 1,169 votes, while Jackson took 547 votes, or 31.88 percent.
Incumbent Post 2 Councilman Ryan Housley defeated challenger and Planning Commissioner Will James with 1,116 votes to 536, or 67.27 percent to 32.31 percent. Post 1 Councilwoman Linda Howard was unopposed.
Tyrone had a 32 percent voter turnout, highest of the three cities.
