CHESTERTOWN — Sheila Austrian has won Tuesday’s special election for the open First Ward council seat here.
She received 110 votes, which included 15 by absentee ballots, to Dawson Hunter’s 82 votes.
Town Clerk Lynda Thomas told The Evening Enterprise that she certified the election shortly after the polls closed Tuesday at 8 p.m.
There are 955 registered voters in the First Ward, according to Thomas.
Austrian will be sworn in as the first order of business at the regularly scheduled Feb. 3 mayor and council meeting.
She will serve out the remaining 11 months on Tim O’Brien’s term.
O’Brien resigned in October as litigants prepared to file a lawsuit against the mayor and council because O’Brien continued to serve after moving out of the ward from which he was elected.
The lawsuit has been resolved. See https://theeveningenterprise.com/2-vie-for-chestertown-council-seat-in-special-election-judge-rules-on-lawsuit/
Tuesday’s election followed a well-attended candidates forum for Austrian and Hunter on Thursday, Jan. 16 that was sponsored by the League of Women Voters.
In her three-minute opening statement, Austrian described herself as “a come-here who decided to be a stay-here.”
She has lived in Kent County since the 1990s, first on the weekends on a farm outside of town limits, then on Water Street in Chestertown while renovating an historic home and now at Heron Point senior community.
Mayor David Foster and his wife also are residents of Heron Point.
Austrian’s background includes volunteering with the Peace Corps and as a U.S. Foreign Service officer.
Austrian said she believes that good national government begins with local issues and local responsibilities.
At the forum, Austrian told the audience that she has the time, the energy and the experience to do a good job. She described herself as a team player.
She promised to be a “hard worker,” and to meet with all the town commissions and committees and the various people who do things for the town.
“I don’t come with real, real strong opinions about most of these issues. I don’t have an agenda with a box to check off here and a box to check off there,” Austrian said in her closing statement at the forum. “I’m interested in hearing, listening and doing my very best to represent you.”