With all votes tallied, unofficial totals show C.J. Harper defeating incumbent Harry Beckwith III in the the race for Jersey Village City Council Position 3 with 73.7 percent of the vote, or 244 of the total 331 votes cast. Beckwith finished with 87 votes. Harper, a retired peace officer with the Jersey Village Police Department, said he threw his hat in the ring after speaking with many citizens in Jersey Village who encouraged him to run. "All the folks I’ve spoken with don’t want just change, they want collective progress and careful deliberation of growth," Harper said. "My desire is to be part of a council who are community visionaries coming together to discuss how we can make a great city even better." Harper said the things he wants to focus on as a councilman include developing the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction and making sure all citizen concerns are addressed with regard to the Hwy. 290 expansion and how it affects the city. "Continued quality development of commercial interests along the [Hwy.] 290 corridor is of utmost importance," he said. "Transparency and reliable communication throughout all decision-making processes will help our citizens feel [like they are] part of the political process instead of being treated as afterthoughts." Beckwith served two terms on City Council, having been first elected in 2011. The office of Jersey Village mayor and City Council Position 2 were also up for election this May but both races were uncontested. Incumbent Greg Holden was the only candidate to file for Position 2 and will serve another term on City Council. Former Councilman Justin Ray was the only candidate to file to run for mayor and will take his oath of office May 18. Former Mayor Rod Erskine declined to run for a second term, citing plans for the future that would not leave him with enough time to commit to being an effective mayor. The Jersey Village mayor and council members serve two-year terms without compensation. Council positions 1, 4 and 5 will be up for election in May 2016.