Kenneth

Steele is spending a little more time around City

Hall, now that he has been elected Fayetteville's

mayor.

Steele

will take the helm in January, having received

737 votes, 60.3 percent of ballot in last

Tuesday's municipal election.

Political

newcomer Paul Oddo received 39.7 percent, or 486

votes.

Steele

said this week that he is learning everything he

can about day to day city operations. "I'm

getting my feet on the ground and getting current

on everything," he said.

He

doesn't plan any sweeping changes, though, in his

four-year term as mayor, Steele said. "The

underlying philosophy is not going to be any

different," he said, adding that Mike Wheat,

the current mayor, "is doing a wonderful

job.

"I

would just like to do as good a job at being open

and communicative" as Wheat has, Steele

said. "He has been a great facilitator,

bringing different parts of the community

together."

Among

city government priorities as 1999 comes to a

close, Steele said, are getting a handle on the

city's storm water and drainage problems, a new

tree protection ordinance and working with the

County Commission on plans for its new jail and

courthouse complex.

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