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Walthourville manages to approve election contract
Walthourville Sign Mayor
Walthourville Mayor Daisy Pray stands outside city hall. - photo by File photo

The city of Walthourville will have its election this year after all.

It was a close call for the small town when, at its Thursday meeting, the City Council could not vote to re-sign a contract for the Liberty County Board of Elections to conduct its municipal election in November. There were not enough council members present to vote.

Walthourville has five council members, plus the mayor. There must be a quorum of at least three council members present to vote on anything. Mayor Daisy Pray said that at the council’s last meeting, it couldn’t conduct business because Mayor Pro Tem Patricia Green and Councilwoman Sarah Hayes were the only members present. Council members Luciria Lovette, Charlie Anderson Sr. and James Hendry were not present that evening.

A special meeting was called Monday evening to discuss and vote on re-signing the contract with the Board of Elections. Present were Green, Anderson and Hendry. Hayes called Pray before the meeting to inform her that she would be absent.

Walthourville City Attorney Andrew Johnson said the Board of Elections is not obligated to do anything related to elections unless a contract is in place. The city’s contract with the board had expired.

Anderson asked the attorney how often the city has to re-sign the contract and whether all the municipalities have to do so. Johnson answered that whenever Walthourville has an election, the contract needs to be signed.

He added that other municipalities also sign a contract with the Liberty County Board of Elections.

City Council approved the contract by a 3-0 vote.

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