Coin flip breaks tie

Published 5:29 pm Tuesday, November 26, 2019

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WINDSOR – It came down to a coin-flip.

Incumbent Kelford Town Commissioner Wayne Bland will be returning to office, the fifth member of the town board, after a drawing of lots Friday at the Bertie County Board of Elections office.

In the November municipal elections, Bland tied challenger Kenneth Cain in the voting tally with both garnering 23 votes each. After canvassing to determine the official vote count, which took place Nov. 15, the two remained tied. So, on Nov. 22 the full county Board of Elections broke the tie with a drawing of lots, essentially, a coin flip.

Wade “Tim” Emory, John “Timmy” Eaton, Jim T. Harrell, and Kelford’s newest town commission member Randy Robtoy were all elected during the Nov. 5 election balloting.

Meanwhile, in Colerain, there were two seats available to fill unexpired terms on their town board. Thadd Perry was elected to one of the seats with 16 votes. However, it was expected the other seat would have to have been filled by the top write-in vote-getter, as no one else had filed for the seat.

Of the nine write-in votes cast, Donald Sumner received the most with five votes, but the Board of Elections determined Sumner was ineligible to serve because of his residence. The remaining four votes went to John Harrell (2), Ann Sawyer (1), and Tommy Brown (1).

Because of the disqualification, the Colerain town commissioner’s post will remain vacant until the remaining commissioners caucus together and make a selection of someone to fill the vacant seat.

In other Colerain balloting, former Town Commissioner Bill Harrell was elected to his first term as Mayor, while Burney Baker and Jacques Turner were re-elected as Town Commissioners.

The resolution of the final two results in Kelford and Colerain complete the municipal election cycle for the county.

As a recap, Askewville made no changes after their unofficial voting was completed. Gloria Mae Bryant will retain the Mayor’s post and the three incumbent Town Commissioners (Kay Brantley, Carla Pesce, and Michael Baker), like Bryant, ran unopposed.

Things were likewise for Powellsville, where Mayor James Peele, along with Town Commissioners Hattie Askew, Carlyle Hoggard, and Gerald Waters were swept back into office, all facing no opposition at the polls.

Some of the other municipalities have staggered terms for their elected officials.

In Windsor, Randy Walston, who had filled in unexpired term, won a seat outright. Incumbent Cathy Wilson was re-elected, and Camille Holmes Rascoe won the third Windsor seat outright, she had been appointed to fill the unexpired term of the late Larry “Speedy” Carter.

Gary Johnson won re-election as Mayor of Roxobel. In Roxobel’s Town Commissioner balloting, Robert Phelps, David Lee Baisley, and Carolyn Bracy were all re-elected while Tim White is a Commissioner newcomer.

In Lewiston-Woodville balloting, Chris Cordon, Michelle Gilliam, and Judy Brown all won re-election; Cordon representing Lewiston, Gilliam representing Woodville, and Brown holding the at-large seat.