The aftermath: Mixed results emerge from election

Voters may not have come to polling stations in droves on Tuesday for Pitt County's municipal election, but the ballots cast confirmed most of the status quo throughout the community. Change was marked with two new faces coming to the Greenville City Council, among other races in which voters looked to infuse government with new ideas.

The victorious candidates should head to office in the coming weeks with memories of their election battles, remembering the pledges made on the campaign trail and the thoughtful ideas offered by their opponents. That will ensure that this process was both productive and substantive, which ultimately serves the public's best interest.

A sunny Election Day greeted Pitt County voters on Tuesday as polls opened for this year's municipal election. And though turnout numbers seem to have matched low expectations, the outcomes that emerged will result in few changes to the landscape over the coming years.

Though the vote totals have yet to be confirmed by election officials, it appears that mayors in most towns were re-elected to new terms in office, including Winterville Mayor Doug Jackson, who survived a spirited three-way contest. In Greenville, voters sided with most incumbents, with Mayor Pat Dunn and Council members Bryant Kittrell and Calvin Mercer defeating their opponents.

Councilman Larry Spell's decision to decline a re-election bid ensured at least one new face on the City Council, and it was Marion Blackburn who received more votes in District 3. And the tightest race of the night, that in District 1, saw challenger Kandie Smith defeat 11-term incumbent Councilwoman Mildred Council by a mere 12 votes, though election officials still must review the results.

Municipal elections in Pitt County are routinely plagued with problems like low-voter turnout and general disinterest. Perhaps that is due to the timing of the vote in off years or the lack of a high-profile race at the top of the ballot that motivates residents to participate.

However, voters should never take these elections for granted, especially when considering their importance to the everyday tasks of local government. So many public services that have an immediate, tangible impact on citizens' lives originate at the local level, and that emphasizes the importance of citizen participation in elections.

Those who put themselves before voters deserve the utmost respect and gratitude of this community, because leading a campaign is a tiresome task without assurance of results. Even though voter participation lagged, Pitt County can now look to implementing solutions to persistent problems, returning its focus on the future.