By Mac Trammell
Voters in Buena Vista decided they liked how their government has been run the past four years. The roughly 6,500-person city elected three out of four candidates who have been part of the city government the last four years.
In Tuesday’s vote for three at-large seats, Steve Baldridge and Lisa Clark won back their seats on the city council while Larry Tolley, currently a councilman, won an uncontested race for mayor.
“[I] look forward to working with Steve [Baldridge] again for four more years,” Clark said on election night. “I think we came on as a team, and I think we have a common vision. But we also have some really individual opinions that have helped us both grow as council people, so I look forward to the next four years.”
William “Bill” Fitzgerald won the final remaining seat on the city council, beating out Tyson Cooper, Andy Wolfe, and the current mayor, Frankie Hogan.
“I’m worn out. That was a long [election] day,” Fitzgerald said. He arrived at City Hall around 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. to meet and chat with voters, as did the other candidates. Fitzgerald also expressed his excitement at having been elected and wished to thank the public “for giving me the opportunity to serve.”
Baldridge and Clark also expressed their gratitude to the people for having chosen them once again. In addition, Baldridge greeted the newest member of the city council with respect.
“I’m welcoming to Billy Fitzgerald,” Baldridge said on election night. “He’s run a number of times and now he’s gotten elected, so now he’s going to bring what he’s learned from serving on school board and other capacities.”
Fitzgerald will have to relinquish his seat on the school board to take his new position on the city council. Similarly, Tolley will have to forfeit his seat on the council to become mayor. The council will appoint an interim councilmember to occupy that vacant seat until the next election, which will be next November.
As for Tolley, he said he is excited about taking on a new role, but recognized there are two more months until he officially steps in as mayor.
“I’m very optimistic,” Tolley said. “My whole focus will be on accentuating the positive and addressing the negative in the best manner we can.” He said the council members new and incumbent for a good, cohesive group that can work well together.
“I look forward to working with each and every one of them.”
On election night, five of the seven candidates waited at city hall for results to come in. Once the candidates knew the outcomes of the election, Tolley approached Hogan, shook his hand, and told him, facetiously, “We’re going to wear you out in this last month.”
Hogan, for his part, accepted his defeat, noting that what the people of Buena Vista want outweighs his desire to hold office.
“Whatever the people of Buena Vista decided, that’s what they wanted, that’s the way it’s going to be,” he said. “It’s nothing to feel bad about or happy about or anything else—it’s what the citizens want.”
Others expressed similar feelings of acceptance. While Cooper said he was a bit disappointed, he made sure to thoroughly congratulate the winners and wished them the best of luck moving forward. Cooper did say he will seek the interim appointment to Telley’s unfilled seat.
On the other hand, Wolfe said he would not seek to attain the open seat. He remained chipper.
“There’s going to be three losers,” he said. “[It was] the first time I ever [ran]. I have no problem with the fact that we did not win.”
Wolfe also said that he feels he can still be an asset to the city, especially in his role at his public relations and marketing business, Mariner Media.
The city’s newly elected officials will take office Jan. 1.