Turnout was light and the race was close, but when the votes were counted Tuesday evening, the voters of District had selected Jim Wilson to represent them on Union City Council.
Unofficial results show that Wilson won Tuesday’s special election with 56 votes to Sonja Craig’s 50 votes and Marsha Gossett’s 33. The results will be certified Friday at 10 a.m. at the City of Union Municipal Building.
“‘I’d like to thank my family and all the people who supported me,” Wilson said when the results were announced Tuesday evening. “I’d like to thank all of those who helped around town.
Wilson will serve out the unexpired term of Andy Bailey who resigned the seat in March. The seat will be on the ballot again in November and Wilson will have the option of seeking a term in his own right at that time.
Turnout was light for Tuesday’s special election with only 139 of District 6’s 817 registered voters casting ballots.
During the campaign, Wilson said if elected to council his priority would be reviving the manufacturing sector of the local economy which he said creates full-time, long-lasting jobs that pay higher wages and have good benefits. To attract manufacturers, Wilson said the city should work with Union County, the Union County Development Board and other agencies to develop new industrial sites that would provide companies with the infrastructure they need to operate and the space they’d need to expand as they grow.
Wilson also called for public involvement in the recruitment of industry by getting an education at local and area educational institutions that will prepare them to work in modern manufacturing facilities. A teacher at the UCHS Career and Technology Center for 29 years, Wilson said institutions like the Career and Technology Center, the Union County Advanced Technology Center, Spartanburg Community College, USC-Union and Adult Education can provide potential employees with the skills they need to provide manufacturers with the trained workforce they are looking for.
In addition to reviving manufacturing, Wilson said he also wants to expand the city’s utility system which said would provide multiple benefits to the city including generating more revenue, reducing costs to consumers and attracting industry. The new industries the city would recruit would create jobs while also purchasing their utilities from the city which generate even more revenue and further reduce costs to consumers
Wilson said he would also work to maintain the city’s ISO fire rating which can benefit residents and businesses by helping hold down insurance rates.
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