Councilman-elect Ken Beck will join re-elected members Christopher Wilder and Mark Scott on Volente City Council, based on results from the Nov. 5 election.

A total of 443 people voted for the four candidates who vied for the three open seats. Beck gained 141 votes, or 31.83 percent, and Wilder had 125 votes, or 28.22 percent. Scott was close behind with 117 votes, or 26.41 percent. Candidate Mike Nitz finished last with 60 votes, or 13.54 percent.

A Volente resident since 1996, Beck said he hopes to pursue solutions to several issues he has already worked on as a neighborhood association president and chairman of the Volente Planning and Zoning Commission. Volente needs a long-term plan for water, he said.

"We're dealing with the impact of this long-term drought," Beck said.

Beck added that he favors expanding light-retail businesses to boost the village's tax base. That may also help fill a void after VJ Grocery & Cafe closed four years ago.

Wilder said he hopes to improve Volente's communication infrastructure and work with police.

He and Beck both said they want to streamline the city's ordinances, making it easier to conduct business in the city.

"We've garnered a reputation of being very difficult to deal with," Wilder said.

Scott said his key projects in the next two years will be to analyze the fire service and other budget issues, review options for water service and establish a regular village clean up.

"We are a small bedroom community off the beaten path of the big cities around us," Scott said in a statement. "I intend to continue to work to protect our environment and our country village way of life."