Williams is not worried about recount
By Ty Johnson
Published in News on July 19, 2012 1:46 PM
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Rev. Charles Williams
Incumbent District 4 Councilman Rev. Charles Williams said Wednesday he doesn't expect the recount requested by his challenger, Tondalayo Clark, to reverse his victory from Tuesday's election.
With all precincts reporting, Williams led the race with 200 votes, while Ms. Clark had 190.
"It's been counted and recounted and recounted and my people were there looking at them counting," Williams said. "She can look at the count again, but we had a democratic process."
Williams credited the close race to poor voter turnout and confusion and apathy stemming from the May 8 primary, when he received more than 72 percent of the vote.
"I had people call after it was over and said they had thought my election was done," Williams said of Tuesday's election. "People had already gone (to vote) one time (in May) and didn't go back because they felt it was a sure thing and the results would be the same.
"But it was close."
It's not the first time in recent memory that a municipal race has been decided by a handful of votes, either:
* In the 2003 municipal election, incumbent J.B. Rhodes was initially declared the winner of the District 1 race, but a recount revealed a number of those vote had been double counted. After a recount, Rhodes lost to Jimmy Bryan by one vote.
* In the 2003 District 6 race, Danny Roseborough was originally revealed as the winner, but a recount showed Jackie Warrick won the race by four votes. A new election was held and Warrick won by 99 votes.
* In 2007, Michael Headen won the District 1 race over Frankie Anna Lewis by two votes. After a recount, the totals remained the same and Headen began his first term on the council.
Williams said the opportunity to serve a fifth term means he'll be able to better get to know those newly added to his district due to redrawing of the district maps.
"I've seen some streets over there that need resurfacing," he said. "I just want to make sure the whole fourth district is up to standard in every way."
He said there are also a lot of projects on the table he would like the council to take up, including the completion of the Center Street Streetscape Project, the city's downtown recreation center and the civic center project.
"I want to bring as much back as we can to make it a reality," he said.
He said he was encouraged by recent interest downtown since the Streetscape project was began.
"I'm excited about that and there's going to be a whole lot more happening," he said.