“We knew it was going to be tight,” Baswell said after the totals were posted on the door of Ohatchee First Baptist Church. “Very, very close.”
Four hundred ninety-four votes were counted Tuesday night compared to 433 in the general election on Aug. 28 — a 14 percent increase.
The two candidates are the only two mayors to serve in Ohatchee dating back to 1982, when Roberson began the first of six terms in office. Baswell ousted Roberson in the 2008 election.
Despite the lesser number of terms on his resume, Baswell touted his experience while campaigning. Talking to The Star last week, the mayor said he hoped voters would keep in mind the hard work he and the Town Council had accomplished over the last four years by making tough economic decisions and keeping the town’s budget out of the red.
In contrast, Roberson told voters to look to the future as he hoped to make improvements to the town by developing Ohatchee’s industrial park and promoting tourism in the area.
Despite spending 12 hours at the polls Tuesday, Baswell said he isn’t planning on getting too much rest before getting down to business with the newly elected council.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to work,” Baswell said. “Just continuing what we’ve been doing.”
Star staff writer Brian Anderson: 256-235-3546. On Twitter @BAnderson_Star.
