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Photo by Ingrid Schnader.
Homewood residents walk into the Homewood Senior Center to cast their votes in the Aug. 25 municipal elections as Ward 2 candidates stand outside with signs.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Lane.
Mayoral candidate Chris Lane meets with supporters ahead of the Aug. 25 election.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Lane.
Lane received 29.5% of the vote and will run against Patrick McClusky in the Oct. 6 runoff election.
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Photo courtesy of Patrick McClusky.
Patrick McClusky speaks to Homewood residents on 18th Street. McClusky received 43% of the vote on Aug. 25 and will run against Chris Lane in the runoff election.
After running the city of Homewood for 12 years, Homewood Mayor Scott McBrayer will lose his title to either Chris Lane or Patrick McClusky this November.
McClusky led the polls with 2,331 total votes (43% of the vote). Lane followed with 1,594 votes (29.5%). McBrayer received 1,486 votes (27.5%).
Although McClusky received more total votes than his opponents, a candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff election.
It was a tight race for second place. Out of 5,411 total voters, McBrayer only trailed Lane by 108 votes. In Wards 2 and 3, McBrayer received more votes than Lane. But Lane received more votes than McBrayer in Wards 4 and 5, and in Ward 1, Lane received more votes than either of his opponents.
Brett Stanley, who voted in Ward 2, said he voted for McClusky because he was looking for a new person to lead the city. McClusky has spent 11 years representing Ward 3 on the City Council, and Stanley noted that McClusky has more experience working for the city than Lane.
Ward 1 resident Natalie Gibney said she voted for Lane because she liked his platform. It was a hard decision, she said — she thought McBrayer did a good job, but she had issues with the downtown rezoning proposal, she said.
The runoff election will be Oct. 6. Those who voted for McBrayer on Aug. 25 have a decision to make: McClusky or Lane?
Lane is the founder of a Homewood-based small business called C Lane Company. He has never run for municipal office before, but for the past four years, he has been a near-constant attendee of every City Council meeting, committee meeting and Planning Commission meeting. He was like a sponge, he said, soaking up all of the information and learning about how the Homewood government works.
Lane is running for mayor “in hopes to bring transparency, unification and preservation back to the city of Homewood,” he said. He said he wants to focus on hiring a city manager and maintaining an up-to-date website. He also said he wants to livestream meetings and provide post-meeting minutes.
Lane has been a resident in Homewood for 50 years. Together with his wife Leslie, they share two children and four — soon to be five — grandchildren. Both of their children grew up in the Homewood City School system.
Go to his campaign website at chrislaneformayor.com for more information.
McClusky has been on Homewood City Council representing Ward 3 since his appointment in 2009. He chairs the Public Safety Committee, is a liaison to the Park Board and serves on the Public Works and Special Issues committees. He said he would like to continue serving Homewood as its mayor.
McClusky’s vision for Homewood includes hiring a city manager; focusing on Homewood’s aging infrastructure; increasing collaboration between Homewood businesses and its government; supporting the Homewood City School system; supporting the Homewood Police Department in its battle against local human trafficking; increasing pedestrian connectivity; and consistently engaging with Homewood citizens and businesses.
McClusky is director of sales at Tsitalia Import Foods and has lived in Homewood his entire life. He and his wife Leah have three children who are all Homewood City Schools students.
Visit his campaign website at mccluskyformayor.com for more information.
OTHER RUNOFFS
In addition to the mayoral election, other election results for City Council representatives were also too close to call.
In Ward 2, four Homewood residents competed for the Place 2 position, making it especially difficult for a candidate to receive more than 50% of the votes.
Andrew Wolverton has held the Ward 2, Place 2 position since 2016. Out of 1,089 Ward 2 voters, Wolverton led the vote with 447 total votes, which was 41% of the vote. He is passionate about fostering community, measured growth and safety throughout the West Homewood community, he said. Wolverton also said he plans to target improved walkability and connectivity if reelected, advocating for sidewalks on Berry Road and other parts of Ward 2.
Celeste Bayles, who ran for municipal office for the first time this year, will run against Wolverton in the Oct. 6 runoff election. She received 316 votes Aug. 25, which was 29% of the vote. Bayles said she hopes to uphold the following tenants: transparency; diversity and inclusion; open communication; and creating a substantial legacy for future generations. She also said she wants to help create a city manager position for the city.
Beverly Brice LeBoeuf and Justin Limbaugh both earned about 18% of the vote for the Ward 2, Place 2 position.
“While I did not make the runoff, I am so very grateful for the opportunity to have met each of my new friends,” LeBoeuf said in a Facebook post.
In Ward 3, candidates Nick Sims and Brady Wilson for Place 1 will be on the ballots once again at the Oct. 6 runoff election. The current incumbent for Ward 3, Place 1 is Patrick McClusky. This is both of the runoff candidates’ first run for office.
Sims received 43.6% of the vote with a total of 547 votes. He holds a master’s degree in public administration and has been involved with policy work throughout his career. If elected, Sims said he hopes to support efforts to promote inclusion in the city, build a transparent government and build community.
Wilson received 32% of the vote with a total of 402 votes. He has served on the Planning Commission since 2016. His campaign cites the need for preservation in Homewood and the need to polish Green Springs Highway. He also said he wants to promote and support civil rights; protect Homewood schools and property values; and have a calculated plan for economic development.
Walt Harris also ran for Ward 3, Place 1 and received 24.4% of the vote.
NEW TO THE SCENE
The Homewood City Council will look a bit more diverse once the newly elected City Council representatives take their positions. Of the three new representatives, two are female, one is Black and one is an immigrant from Nicaragua.
Ward 1, Place 1 incumbent Britt Thames lost his seat to Melanie Geer. On Election Day, Ward 1 resident Betty White said she liked the idea of having a woman on the council representing her ward.
Geer said she will represent the voice of Ward 1 residents and property owners in important downtown rezoning conversations and said she will work to protect and preserve all of the neighborhoods in Homewood. She received 466 votes to Thames’ 299 votes.
When Ward 2, Place 1 incumbent Mike Higginbotham announced he would not seek reelection, Carlos Alemán stepped up to the challenge. Alemán received 638 votes, and his opponent Sydney Simmons received 451 votes. This was Alemán’s first time running for office, and he said he enjoyed knocking on the doors of his Ward 2 neighbors.
“I expected people to be a little skeptical because of the pandemic,” he said. “What I discovered is that they really just wanted to talk — they want to talk about what their concerns are and what they thought were opportunities for Ward 2. ... They wanted an advocate to fight for Ward 2, so I am happy to take that on.”
Alemán said he is excited to push public spaces and promote diversity and inclusion during his time on the council. He is grateful to everyone who voted and for the passion that came out this election season, he said.
Jalete Nelms is the third newcomer and will represent Ward 4 in Place 2. Nelms said her overall goal is to enhance current projects involving green spaces in the city and to improve the ability for constituents to communicate with elected officials. She also said she would like to find pockets within the city limits to create dog parks.
“Thank you so much for believing in me,” Nelms wrote in a Facebook post. “A win for me is a win for Ward Four and our community.”
STAYING FOR ANOTHER ROUND
Councilors Walter Jones, Barry Smith and John Hardin won the majority of votes in each of their wards and will keep their seats on the City Council.
Jones said he was very excited to continue serving the citizens of Ward 3. He has held the position for two decades — from 1996-2004 and from 2008 to present. He received 710 votes, which was 58% of the vote.
“As chair of the Finance Committee, I want to continue the great success with the budget and focusing on many new projects,” Jones said. “I also would like to establish a youth City Council. This would help educate young people on city government as well as infuse new ideas within the current City Council.”
Smith received 783 votes, and her opponent Kent Haines received 604. During her reelection, Smith said she is excited about new sidewalks on Saulter Road, the new Saulter Road pocket park, continuing the Shades Creek Greenway trail and beginning quarterly meetings with Samford and its surrounding neighbors. She is also looking forward to working with her new Ward 4 representative and said she has been friends with Nelms for 20 years.
“This council has worked so well together, and we’ve been so collaborative on a wealth of projects,” she said. “I think all of us see ourselves as representatives of the whole city.... My hope is this new council will have the same mindset.”
Hardin had two opponents vying for his Ward 5, Place 2 seat: Jeff Foster and Zach Isbell. Still, Hardin received 57% of the vote with a total of 490 votes. Foster and Isbell each received 303 and 69 votes, respectively.
“I’m grateful to be elected to continue serving the residents of Ward 5,” Hardin said. “I hope to work hard and continue making Homewood a better place to live.”
Also staying on City Council for another term are Alex Wyatt, Jennifer Andress and Andy Gwaltney. They ran unopposed this election season and were featured in the September issue of The Homewood Star.
THE FACES OF YOUR NEW CITY COUNCIL
► Council President: Alex Wyatt (Unopposed)
► Ward 1, Place 1: Melanie Geer, 426 (Thames, 299)
► Ward 1, Place 2: Andy Gwaltney (Unopposed)
► Ward 2, Place 1: Carlos Alemán, 638 (Sydney Simmons, 451)
► Ward 2, Place 2: Runoff between Andrew Wolverton, 447, and Celeste Bayles, 316. (Other opponents were Beverly Brice Leboeuf, 181, and Justin Limbaugh, 145)
► Ward 3, Place 1: Runoff between Nick Sims, 547, and Brady Wilson, 402. (Walt Harris, 306)
► Ward 3, Place 2: Walter Jones, 710 (Frances Nance, 141, and Mark Quimby, 382)
► Ward 4, Place 1: Barry Smith, 783 (Kent Haines, 604)
► Ward 4, Place 2: Jalete Nelms, 812 (Evan Bates, 556)
► Ward 5, Place 1: John Hardin, 490 (Jeff Foster, 303, and Zach Isbell, 69)
► Ward 5, Place 2: Jennifer Andress (Unopposed)
