HOFFMAN — One small Richmond County town now has its full complement of council members for next year.
Hoffman Councilwoman Althea Sloan Cobb told the Daily Journal in a Friday email that: “Yes, I will accept the position for another term.”
Cobb, who received 32 of the 37 total write-in votes, was declared the winner of the vacant seat by the Richmond County Board of Elections on Tuesday.
The seat was left vacant for the election after Cobb failed to file in July.
Kelly said during the vote canvassing that she was unsure whether or not Cobb would accept the office.
Candidates for political office in the town of fewer than 600 were slow to come out of the woodwork, with Rory Kevin Jones being the first to file, during the second of the two-week period. He was followed the next day by Mayor Tommy Hart and Cynthia Northcutt.
Councilmen Ricky Riccardo Anderson and Daniel Kelly filed during the final two days of the period.
The four sitting council members who were on the ballot were unopposed and all were re-elected, as was Hart.
Out of Hoffman’s 359 registered voters, 55 visited the precinct to pick their town leaders, resulting in a 15 percent turnout.
Between all the candidates, the most votes (48) went to Kelly. Hart had 47, both Jones and Northcutt saw 44 and Anderson garnered 40.
If she had not been written in, and there were no other write-ins, Cobb could have continued to serve on the town council until her successor was appointed and sworn in, according to N.C. General Statute 128-7.
Reach reporter William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_Toler.