Wiley Hopkins and Amy Proctor are headed to a runoff in the race for the Place 2 seat on Buda City Council. In the Jan. 26 election, Hopkins received 48.03 percent of the vote to Proctor's 27.95 percent and Cathy Chilcote's 24.02 percent.
The city charter mandates that a majority is necessary to win an election, and since no candidate achieved more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held between the candidates with the two highest vote totals.
Hopkins said he was confident that he would be able to lock up the 2 percent he needs to gain a majority. There were 229 ballots cast in the initial election, which means Hopkins would have needed five more votes in his favor.
"I'm pretty excited and pleased about the outcome and the support I got," Hopkins said. "We're talking about four or five votes. I want to maintain the base that I have, and it will be expanded."
Hopkins, who currently serves as the vice chairman of the city's Zoning Board of Adjustments, said he believes his qualifications make him the clear choice for the seat.
"The supporters of Mrs. Proctor and Mrs. Chilcote should be pleased on their campaigns and hard work," Hopkins said. "I will represent the community as a participating member of the council with humility and no personal or hidden agendas."
Proctor, a 30-year resident of Buda, acknowledged that she has ground to make up, but said since the initial election, she has received many phone calls and emails from citizens voicing their support for her platform.
"Most of the votes I received from people that live in Buda were concerned about the uncontrolled growth and the increasing traffic and the increasing taxes and direction Buda is going," Proctor said. "They agree with my position on controlled growth.
"It's going to be a tough one," she said. "The big push now is to go out and talk to people and listen to what their concerns are and what they want from the city."
City Secretary Danny Batts said the vote would be canvassed at the City Council meeting Feb. 5. According to the city charter, the runoff must be held 20-45 days after the meeting.
The seat became open after former Place 2 Councilman Todd Ruge won the mayoral race against Place 1 Councilman Ron Fletcher in December.