Newly elected commissioner Robert Wilford took his oath of office Monday
as his wife, Diane, and a group of friends and supporters looked on. The 65-year-old Turkey Creek resident stood on the floor of the commission where City Manager Traci Cain administered the oath, before he stepped up to the dais to take his seat alongside his fellow commissioners.
Upon assuming his seat and receiving congratulatory handshakes from other commissioners, Wilford took a few minutes to thank his wife and friends for their support. In what turned out to be a 10-week marathon election season due to a run-off, Wilford said he enjoyed walking the streets of Alachua and meeting with residents to hear their concerns.
Wilford also thanked his campaign manager, saying he stood outside of Turkey Creek each day for several weeks, eventually donning a sign that read, “I am not Robert,” because passersby had seen him so many times, they began to assume he was the candidate.
Wilford finished ahead in the May 4 election with 308 votes to opponent Duane Helle’s 218 votes. That was after an April 13 bid to get the seat for which a third candidate, Dollean Perkins, was also running. The trio split the vote and none of the candidates garnered at least 50-percent plus one vote as required in the city charter.
Just after Wilford assumed his role, Commissioners selected a vice-mayor Monday. With a motion from Commissioner Orien Hills and a second from Commissioner Ben Boukari, Jr., the commission nominated and selected Gary Hardacre to serve as the City’s vice-mayor. Newly elected commissioner Robert Wilford took his oath of office Monday as his wife, Diane, and a group of friends and supporters looked on. The 65-year-old Turkey Creek resident stood on the floor of the commission where City Manager Traci Cain administered the oath, before he stepped up to the dais to take his seat alongside his fellow commissioners.
Upon assuming his seat and receiving congratulatory handshakes from other commissioners, Wilford took a few minutes to thank his wife and friends for their support. In what turned out to be a 10-week marathon election season due to a run-off, Wilford said he enjoyed walking the streets of Alachua and meeting with residents to hear their concerns.
Wilford also thanked his campaign manager, saying he stood outside of Turkey Creek each day for several weeks, eventually donning a sign that read, “I am not Robert,” because passersby had seen him so many times, they began to assume he was the candidate.
Wilford finished ahead in the May 4 election with 308 votes to opponent Duane Helle’s 218 votes. That was after an April 13 bid to get the seat for which a third candidate, Dollean Perkins, was also running. The trio split the vote and none of the candidates garnered at least 50-percent plus one vote as required in the city charter.
Just after Wilford assumed his role, Commissioners selected a vice-mayor Monday. With a motion from Commissioner Orien Hills and a second from Commissioner Ben Boukari, Jr., the commission nominated and selected Gary Hardacre to serve as the City’s vice-mayor. Serving alongside Mayor Gib Coerper, Hardacre would step up as the elected head of the City at meetings and other events in the event Coerper is unable to attend.