MILTON — The Milton City Council will have three new members.
Voters elected Peggi Smith, Mary Ellen Johnson, Jeff Snow and Casey Powell, according to unofficial election results.
Johnson, who challenged newcomer Cara Schepper, is the lone incumbent to return to the council; she will serve a second term. Johnson said it was difficult to be joyful with fellow incumbents losing, but she was happy to return to office and serve the people.
Schepper said she is proud to see three new faces on the council and is excited for friends who won. As for her own race she said, "Mary Johnson is a great woman and she won fair and square."
Powell defeated R.L. Lewis, who served on the council for 32 years.
"I really appreciate all the support I got from the citizens in Milton,” Powell said. “I really appreciate the confidence they've shown in me by electing me to the position. I do take the responsibility seriously and I'll make sure I accurately represent the people who elected me. I look to serving my term."
As for the remaining two seats, Smith won over challenger and incumbent Jimmy Messick. Snow and challenger Henry Martin vied for an open seat.
In other actions:
- Milton voters approved of Sunday alcohol sales by over 64 percent of the vote. However, as a referendum, the vote does not change the law. Milton Mayor Wes Meiss said the council would soon discuss the issue. "It will probably be an action of the new council in December,” he said.
- Don Salter will serve a fifth term as Santa Rosa County commissioner; he won his race against District 3 challenger Aubrey Penton. Salter said the victory shows how much the country trusts him.
Unofficial results do not include absentee ballots, which must be received by Nov. 10, according to the Federal Voting Assistance Program.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton elects 3 new council members; Salter gets fifth term