A low voter turnout marked Henry County’s municipal and special elections on Tuesday.
Fewer than 17,000 voters cast ballots on a hotly-contested Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, also known as SPLOST V. As of Tuesday night, the measure had won the support of 8,588 voters, while 7,687 people voted “no.”
Voters also determined whether restaurants in the county, and in each of its four cities, can begin serving alcohol at 11 a.m., on Sundays. Unofficial totals revealed 9,851 voters in favor of the measure, and 6,424 against it.
The measure also passed in each of the county’s four cities by similar margins. In McDonough, 920 residents voted “yes,” and 573 voted “no.” Stockbridge voters approved Sunday brunch alcohol sales by a vote of 1,274 to 645. In Hampton, such sales were backed by 790 voters, with 439 opposed, and voters in Locust Grove approved it by a margin of 376 votes for “yes,” and 257 for “no.”
In McDonough, At-large City Councilman Benjamin Pruett received 642 votes in a three-person race against challengers Carla Dennis and Brandon Robinson Sr. Dennis secured 411 votes, and Robinson received 25.39 percent.
McDonough’s District 3 Councilman, Craig Elrod, turned back a challenge from Janice Scotchman to retain his seat. Elrod received 520 votes, and Scotchman got 266 votes. The city’s District 4 representative on the Council, Kamali Varner, kept her seat with 212 votes. Her challenger, Teresa Bradley Wheeler, received 71 votes.
McDonough voters came out against a proposed relocation referendum regarding the Henry County Judicial Center. Unofficial totals show that 899 city voters opposed the measure, and 579 residents voted for it.
In Stockbridge, two of three incumbents won reelection to the City Council, though they were not at the top of the city’s election heap. Newcomer Yolanda Barber received 817 votes, while Councilmember John Blount was just two votes behind her.
Similarly, Councilmember Elton Alexander kept his seat with 694 votes. In the process, he edged out Councilmember Neat Robinson by four votes, denying her reelection bid.
Others who were unsuccessful in their quests for seats on the Council include: Nathan Banks, who received 493 votes; Cherice Hollis, 460 votes; Arthur Christian, 448 votes; Kenneth McFarland, 366 votes; and Jacqueline Blalock, 215 votes.
Voters in Hampton also cast ballots for their City Council election. Incumbent Henry Byrd received 661 votes. Marty Meeks and Mary Ann Mitcham ensured their returns to the Council with 648 votes and 545 votes, respectively.
Councilmember Ann Tarpley received 466 votes, but lost her seat on the council. Other candidates who did not succeed in their election bid in Hampton are: Sherry Ann Chaney, with 442 votes; Dexter Cladd, 401 votes; Adrian Stroud, Monica Davis, 115 votes; and Adrian Stroud, 105 votes.
Five candidates vied for three at-large seats on the Locust Grove City Council in Tuesday’s election. Councilmember Carlos Greer garnered the most votes, with 431, followed by newcomer Rod Shearouse, with 2 votes. Unofficial totals show Rudy Breedlove with 265 votes, just one vote ahead of Councilman Otis Hammock’s 264. Michael Reid Brackett, Jr., received 160 votes.
Locust Grove Mayor Robert Price was unopposed and won reelection.
