Estridge in, Guiney out for Sylva Town Council
After canvassing, the vote count is official, with Brad Waldrop, Mark Jones and Blitz Estridge winning seats on the Sylva Town Council, in addition to incoming Mayor Johnny Phillips.
After Election Day, Blitz Estridge and Ben Guiney were unofficially tied for third place with 204 votes each, or 16.8% of the vote. In the case of a tie persisting following canvass, the race is settled with a coin flip or a draw.
Incumbent Council Member Guiney also tied for third place during the 2019 election, after which he won a seat following a coin flip.
However, there were 10 provisional ballots for the Board of Elections to consider on canvass day. Of those ballots, eight were counted, and Estridge came away in the lead, meaning there was no tie breaker necessary.
Blitz Estridge. File photo
Estridge is originally from South Florida and has lived in Sylva since moving here while in high school. He has a degree in electrical fundamentals and owns Catamount Electric in Dillsboro.
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In addition to Guiney, Commissioner Greg McPherson and Mayor David Nestler will no longer have seats on the board. This will leave Natalie Newman and Mary Gelbaugh as the lone incumbents on the board when new members are seated later this year.
Nestler has been serving as mayor since February of this year when Mayor Lynda Sossamon resigned, but he decided not to run for reelection. Greg McPherson came in fourth place for a seat on the board with 188 votes or 15.5% of the vote.
Ben Guiney. File photo
Guiney, an emergency room doctor, has lived in Sylva since 2014 and has been serving on the board since his election in 2019, following three years on the town’s planning board.
