All but one remains the same after Clanton election
The mayor and four City Council seats were up for grabs in Clanton, as elections took place on Tuesday.
However, only one of the seats will have a new occupant, which came in District 4 where Awlahjaday “Day” Agee defeated incumbent Greg DeJarnett with 181 votes to 95.
Incumbents claimed the rest of the City Council seats, as Jeffrey “Doc” Price (415) defeated Danny Carter (166) and Charles Powell (16) in District 1; Bobby Cook (214) edged out Lynn Bush (130) in District 2; and Sammy Wilson (228) took District 3 over Al Headley (136).
“It’s a humble feeling to know that you’ve got supporters out there that trust you with their tax dollars,” Price said. “I’ve enjoyed the avenue that it has given me to meet people.”
Billy Joe Driver (1,090) defeated Lee Helms (665) and Jason Pierce (146) in the race for mayor.
“It grinds on you and it’s pretty agonizing during the waiting game at the tale end,” Driver said. “I never take anything for granted, especially in politics.”
Emotion overwhelmed Driver, who has continued to serve the City of Clanton for over the past 30 years.
“It’s a family tradition to give back to the city,” said Driver, with tears in his eyes. “I just love this town and it’s people.”
Driver was quick to acknowledge that he could not have done it alone and provided well wishes to both Helms and Pierce.
“I am anxious to get started on things, and I invite anybody to give me a call or come by and sit down with me to discuss what’s going on,” Driver said. “I don’t have all the answers, but there are certain folks that have real good ideas, and we need to know about them.”
One of the major projects that the elected members will be able to see completed is St. Vincent’s Chilton, the new hospital that the city and county have been anxiously awaiting for quite some time.
“I think that we’ve done a good job, and we have a lot that we want to continue to see through,” Cook said.
The fact that the seats remained intact for the most part is something that Wilson believes can only have a positive effect moving forward.
“I think it helps to keep things moving within our infrastructure,” Wilson said. “We don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye on everything, but we never leave mad. We work it out, and that’s the way that it ought to be.”