By By Adam Prestridge
Last week's municipal election is official.
Members of the Atmore City Council met Tuesday morning during a special called meeting to certify the election results in preparation for the new term, which will begin Nov. 3, 2008.
"The purpose of the meeting this morning is it is required by state law the certification of the election that was held last week," mayor Howard Shell said. "What we will be doing is certifying each candidate as they were elected and then certify the results of the election itself."
Shell then proceeded to certify each elected official who received the majority of the vote in the election held Aug. 26 including himself; Webb Nall, council District 1; Eldred Pritchett, council District 2 and Chris Walker, council District 3. Each certification had to be signed by each councilman as required by the Alabama Code of 1975.
The council then certified the canvassing election results for mayor and Districts 1, 2 and 3. The official results certified were as follows:
In the mayor's race, District 1, Shell 163 and challenger Gil Bonner 127; District 2, Shell 116 and Bonner 109; District 3, Bonner 89 and Shell 78; District 4, Shell 273 and Bonner 79 and District 5, Shell 106 and Bonner 60. The final total tallied was Shell 736 to Bonner's 464 giving Shell 61.3 percent of the vote.
In the council race, District 1, Nall 192 and challenger Anthony Williams 101 with Nall receiving 65.5 percent of the votes; District 2, Eldred Pritchett 118 and challenger Thomas Teddy McNeal 102 with Pritchett receiving 53.6 percent of the votes and newcomers Chris Walker 104 to Sam Holly's 63 with Walker receiving 62.2 percent of the votes.
The canvassing election results also required the signatures of each council member and city clerk Becca Smith.