Caldwell cruises, Dickson, Sutton join Waynesville board, Feichter, Freeman return
For the first time in a long time, Waynesville will see a new mayor.
With all eight Waynesville precincts reporting, it appears as though there will be some major changes in the Town of Waynesville’s governing board.
Alderman and Mayor Pro Tem Gary Caldwell cruised to a convincing victory over incumbent Mayor Gavin Brown.
Caldwell earned 1,060 votes, good for 57.92 percent of the vote; Brown tallied 736 votes, or about 40 percent.
In the race for four aldermanic seats up for election, attorney Chuck Dickson also scored a commanding victory, leading the field with 1,351 votes. Incumbent Jon Feichter came in second, with 1,251 votes, or about 1.5 percent behind Dickson. Both men were notable in their opposition to a major apartment project off Plott Creek.
Incumbent Alderman Julia Boyd Freeman came in a distant third, with 1,026 votes, good for 15.83 percent. Finishing just behind her was Anthony Sutton, who ran in 2015 but failed to secure a seat.
Assuming the results hold up after canvassing, Alderman LeRoy Roberson will join Mayor Gavin Brown in bidding goodbye to the board. Waynesville native Joey Reece, who returned to his hometown after a career in law enforcement, finished one vote behind Roberson with 919.
