Run-off elections final – Harpersville elects new mayor
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Harpersville elected its first black mayor Tuesday.
Six-hundred-thirty-eight of the city’s some 925 voters turned out to cast their ballots in the run-off election.
Chosen to lead the city for the next four years was former Councilmember Theoangelo Perkins.
Perkins received 354 regular votes plus six absentee votes for a total of 360 to Paul Brooks’ 273 regular votes and 5 absentee votes for a total of 278.
Upon hearing the unofficial count, Perkins said, &uot;I’m excited about working with the new council if this is the truth. We’ll have a new council and a chance for a new beginning to be positive and do what is best for the town. Paul (Brooks) ran a good, clean race. It’s been appreciated, and I will try to work with him as well. He has some good ideas.
&uot;I think if people around here know you and what kind of job you’re doing, they will support you regardless of race,&uot; Perkins said.
Brooks agreed this was &uot;a good, clean race.&uot;
&uot;Theoangelo did a great job. Any way I could help we will be more than happy to do so.&uot;
Brooks continued that the two of them will &uot;try to keep this town on the right track and pull it together.&uot;
Brooks is retired from 28 years in pharmaceutical sales. And Perkins is an interventionist working with at-risk students at Vincent Middle High.
Alabaster voters came out in two of the wards to choose their council members.
Ward 2 voters chose Bob Hicks to lead them the next four years. Hicks received 52.9 percent of the vote, or 190 votes.
Challenger Mark Harwood received 47 percent of the vote, or 169 votes.
Ward 6 voters chose incumbent Mark Sherwood over challenger and former Councilmember John J. Sarris.
Sherwood received 211 votes, or 59 percent to Sarris’ 144 votes, or 41 percent.
Incumbents in two districts in Columbiana faced challenges yesterday, both successfully. And one Columbiana district chose a new representative.
Challengers Danny Kelley and Derrick Bryant faced off in District 2 with Kelley claiming the council seat with 50 votes to Bryant’s 43.
District 3 incumbent Councilmember Tim Billingsley will serve another four years after receiving 120 votes to Brian Stevens’ 80.
And District 5 incumbent Councilmember Ouida Mayfield will serve again. She received 120 votes to Stoney Glenn’s 73.
Four council seats were still up for grabs in Vincent.
Incumbent Paul Sumners lost his bid for Place 1 on the city council to Larry King. King received 73 votes to Sumners’ 34.
Earnest Kidd will represent Place 2. He received 75 votes to Kimberly Riggins’ 29.
Johnny Edwards and Kathy Hassett were in
the race for Place 3 on the council. Edwards won the seat with 43 votes to Hassett’s 23.
Incumbent Rex Smiley lost his bid for re-election to challenger Mary Lee Reynolds. Reynolds received 57 votes to Smiley’s 47.
Each of the municipalities must have governments in place at the beginning of October