Mount Pleasant freshman Rachel Sherwood kept the Mount Pleasant City Commission race close with incumbent Commissioner Jon Joslin.

Despite just missing out on one of three seats, she had pulled ahead of Joslin by two votes Tuesday with six of seven precincts reporting.

“We were all running around like crazy people (at that point),” Sherwood said.

But Joslin won the last Commission spot by 20 votes, joining Vice Mayor Bruce Kilmer and Commissioner David McGuire, also incumbents.
The trio will serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2010, and ending Dec. 31, 2012.

“I encouraged (Sherwood) to get involved, (but) I didn’t think she would run against me,” Joslin said. “I was surprised, and surprised she did that well; I didn’t see much advertising or her name out there. I wholeheartedly expect her to stay involved and I hope she does.”

Kilmer had the most votes, selected by 826 of 1,403 voters.

“I am very grateful for the support and trust the voters have shown me,” he said. “I am very excited about continuing and will do my very, very best to live up to that trust and support they have shown me tonight.”

Voter turnout was at 5.77 percent.

Getting to work

Kilmer said he is happy about the Commission’s past accomplishments, such as the renovated City Hall building and the park system trails. He said he is still staying focused on the needs of Mount Pleasant, however.

“I think we need to keep improving our downtown. I love our downtown,” he said. “I think people want to live in a place with a downtown.”

Kilmer’s biggest concerns for the future include the continued improvement of the downtown area, the traffic issues on Mission Street and the current economic situation.

Joslin, owner of and manager of Mount Pleasant Supply, has been a commissioner for nine years.

“I’m excited,” Joslin said. “It was a close race, a very close race. I’m very excited to be able to serve another three years; we’ve done a lot of good things.”

McGuire, president of McGuire Companies, is a mobile food pantry volunteer and serves on the Sacred Heart Academy Foundation Board.

“I’ve served for the last three years and, in those three years, we’ve accomplished several things,” he said Friday. “My business experience will help provide leadership to continue to provide services.”

Mount Pleasant senior Benjamin Barker came in fifth place of the seven candidates.

“I was feeling confident. I had a lot of support from the community,” he said. “Not every battle in U.S. history was a win, I’ll live to fight another day. I’m not disappointed.”

E-mail the author: Hilary Farrell