The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

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  • W.TERRY SMITH

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November 4, 2009

Four new faces on Tarboro Council

Walker and Owens make history by being first women elected in town

W. TERRY SMITH

History was made Tuesday in the municipal election that saw not one but two women finally get elected to Tarboro Town Council.

It will be a Town Council with some new faces. Four to be exact as three incumbents were defeated and a fourth did not run.

Mayor Donald Morris was unopposed and captured 97 percent of the vote.

Rick Page, the former electric utility director, also was unopposed for the Ward 3 post held by Danny Hayes, a former police chief.

Gerrelene Walker, who lost by 21 votes four years ago, defeated incumbent Buck Price in Ward 1, 117 (52 percent of the vote) to 64 while newcomer John Wooten received 46 votes.

Candis Owens captured 138 votes (51 percent) in Ward 5, ousting incumbent John Jenkins, who had 110 votes (41 percent), former Ward 2 councilman Ray Parrisher got 12 and Dickie Guill 10.

And in Ward 7, newcomer Taro Knight got by incumbent Roy Gray by four votes, 140 to 136.

Results are unofficial until a canvass next week.

"It was an incumbent wave that swept us up," said Gray. "Same thing happened in Princeville (see story elsewhere on this page)."

Knight, 40, had worked on successful Gray campaigns in the past and called the incumbent a friend.

"I feel good,” Knight said. “The differences between us were not that big. I intend to lean on him."

Gray, 56, said he would not ask for a recount.

"Four votes is four votes," he said. "I won my first election by six votes. We did the work we needed to do to win."

Gray was on council from 1990-2002 and was elected by council to his present post in 2008 to fill the unexpired term of David Smoot, who resigned.

Jenkins, 65, stayed at home rather than watch the results get posted at the County Administration Building. He took the defeat hard. He had been on council for three terms.

"The people have spoken," he said, his voice breaking. "That's all I can say."

Price was trying for a third term at age 84.

"I tried," he said. "I really did. It was a clean campaign, nothing ugly."

Page, 63, made up his mind to run after he retired in February and after checking with Hayes to find out what his plans were.

"Working for the town for 23 and a half years and being involved at the meetings and with the customers," Page explained, "I wanted to continue that relationship with the customers."

Page said he was surprised at all the support he found out he had during the campaign. He promised to be accessible.

"I think this was exceptional turnout (23 percent with 2,531 voters) compared to four years ago," Morris said. "So many people running brought out more voters."

Four years ago 1,795 people voted, about 17 percent. The last municipal election in 2007 attracted only 1,337 voters, 9 percent.

The mayor said, "My main objective is small business development and tourism. We can't sit still, we have to go after business and put Tarboro on the map."

Morris, 66, is completing his 28th year on council, the last 14 as mayor.

The winners will be sworn in during the Dec.14 council meeting.

Parrisher and Wooten did not return phone calls for this story.

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