Robbinsville – It might go down as the most monumental ballot in the history of Graham County.
Tuesday’s municipal election results featured a lot of surprises, but one portion of the Town of Robbinsville’s ballot looked to let city residents decide whether alcohol should be sold within its limits.
And when the results were read to the crowd gathered outside the Graham County Board of Elections office Tuesday night, voters had made their voices heard: a resounding “yes.”
For the first time since 1948, the county will be considered “wet,” as Robbinsville’s residents unanimously voted “for” in all seven categories on the ballot – albeit by a narrow margin.
The vote ends Graham County’s designation as the only dry county remaining in North Carolina.
With outlying restaurants – such as Tapoco Lodge, the Wildwood Grill at Fontana Dam and Snowbird Mountain Lodge already selling alcohol, due to their statuses as resorts – the stores and dining establishments within the city limits will now be free to sell malt beverages and unfortified wine.
Here is the breakdown of each vote:
* Town of Robbinsville Malt Beverage Election, On and Off-Premises: 114 for, 98 against;
* Town of Robbinsville Malt Beverage Election, On-Premises Only: 111 for, 97 against;
* Town of Robbinsville Malt Beverage Election, Off-Premises Only: 106 for, 101 against;
* Town of Robbinsville Malt Beverage Election, Hotels, Etc.: 114 for, 92 against;
* Town of Robbinsville Unfortified Wine Election, On and Off-Premises: 115 for, 96 against;
* Town of Robbinsville Unfortified Wine Election, On-Premises Only: 109 for, 99 against;
* Town of Robbinsville Unfortified Wine Election, Off-Premises Only: 105 for, 103 against.
One-term alderman unseats mayor
Two incumbents and a political newcomer will make up the new Robbinsville Board of Aldermen for the next four years, all under the leadership of a new mayor.
Unofficial town election results Tuesday night showed Shaun Adams as the town’s next mayor, with the one-term alderman and Robbinsville native garnering 121 votes against incumbent Steve Hooper’s 87 votes. Three write-in votes were also counted in the mayoral race.
In the alderman race, Debbie Beasley and Brian “Taco” Johnson both managed to hold onto their seats, garnering 96 and 106 votes, respectively. The third alderman seat – formerly held by Adams – went to political newcomer Kenneth Hyde, who amassed 100 nods.
Local businessman Blake Orr garnered 81 votes, healthcare worker Nikki Moody received 77, and former two-term alderman Jacky Ayers received 59 votes in total.
“I just want to thank everybody that supported me,” Adams said.
Adams listed bringing more jobs to Robbinsvile as one of his main goals for his term as mayor.
“I’m going to reach out to companies to get somebody to move into the Stanley Furniture plant,” Adams said.
Adams holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina University, and has also taken courses toward a Master’s of Business Administration at Western Carolina University.
After hearing the results, Hooper wished all the new officials the best and said he did not plan to seek office again, due to his age.
“I’ve given eight years of dedication to the town of Robbinsville, and I can go home and lay down and sleep eight hours, knowing that I’ve given my best,” Hooper said. “I wish them all good luck, and I hope and pray that everything they look at is for the betterment of the town of Robbinsville.”
Johnson – who works as a 911 dispatcher for Graham County and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians – thanked voters for allowing him to stay in office, but said that he was unsure what his second term would hold.
“The people have spoken, so we’ll sit and do the best job we can,” Johnson said.
He said he hoped the new board would keep the town on the same course and continue working on current projects.
“I’d just like to thank everybody that voted for me,” Johnson said.
Like Johnson, Beasley – who is the postmaster at the Robbinsville Post Office – said she was unsure what her second term would bring, but thanked those that supported her.
She also reiterated her commitment to fiscal responsibility.
“I’m glad that the people put enough confidence in me to re-elect me,” Beasley said. “I am standing on the same thing, that I will take everything that they give me and make sure that it is not spent foolishly, and I will continue to work hard for them.”
She emphasized the importance of working together.
“We have to unite together before we make any progress,” Beasley said.
Hyde – who works as jail lieutenant for the Graham County Sheriff’s Office and is an ordained Baptist minister – said that he planned to sit down with Adams, Johnson and Beasley to see how the town’s new government could most effectively work together.
“I’m kind of surprised and kind of not, too,” Hyde said. “It’s going to be interesting to go forward, but I’ve got a good group to work with.”
Lake Santeetlah
Unofficial results indicate three ties and five write-in candidates in the Town of Lake Santeetlah. In many cases, the write-in candidates were more successful than the five incumbents.
Incumbent Roger Carlton received seven votes. Incumbent Kevin Haag received 10 votes, mayor Jim Hager and incumbent Keith Predmore garnered 11 votes each.
The top vote-getter of the incumbents was Diana Simon, who received 22 votes.
Write-ins Ralph Mitchell and Tina Emerson received 17 votes each.
Former council member Connie Gross received 16 votes. John Cochran received 10 votes, and Jeff Cochran received six votes.
Fontana Dam
Mayor Rob Hardy, Councilwoman Tiffany Duke and Councilman Jon Hodgson each received three votes in the county’s smallest municipality, as the Town of Fontana Dam eyes a shift to a 3-person council in the coming years.
All results from Tuesday night are unofficial, until certified by the Graham County Board of Elections.