The city of Rollingwood will not be having an election this November because all three candidates who filed for open positions are running unopposed.
Alderwoman Roxanne McKee is the sole mayoral candidate, while City Council incumbent Sara Hutson and newcomer Gavin Massingill are running for the two alderman positions that are up for grabs. The three candidates will take office in November.
McKee will replace Mayor Thom Farrell, who is closing out a two-year term and said he chose to retire instead of run again for the position. Farrell is serving his second stint as mayor of Rollingwood; he assumed the office for three terms from 1998 to 2004.
“This was my fourth term and Rollingwood is in really good hands,” he said. “I’m very comfortable with the position the city is in. Working with the council, I know they are incredibly bright and know what they’re doing.”
Farrell said he and his wife want to spend time traveling and being with their children and grandchildren.
“My wife has been wonderful and supportive through the years, and I’ve got three grandchildren to spend time with,” he said. “The timing is right for me and I like to think I’ve given sufficient time to our city.”
McKee, who is finishing her second term on as an alderwoman, said she filed for the mayor's seat to give the city the same consistency as they’ve had in the past.
“It’s been a good last term," McKee said. "Rollingwood has an excellent council and a mayor that have been productive [together]. I’m familiar with the projects we’ve been working on and want to see those things all the way through.”
For example, she said she hopes the council can finish creating a drainage ordinance during her term.
“I feel real confident in Roxanne coming in an doing a real fantastic job,” Farrell said. “We’ll have different ways of doing it—we all have different managing styles—but I know she is going to be a good mayor.”
City Secretary Robyn Ryan said Massingill is newer to city government, but has been on the planning and zoning commission for a term.
Hutson has occupied her seat on City Council since May 2010.
On Aug. 26, the city certified that it was an unopposed election in all three races, Ryan said. Rollingwood City Council approved an ordinance accepting the certification and declaring the candidates elected on Aug. 31.
The three candidates will be sworn in at a city council meeting Nov. 16, Ryan said.
The candidate filing period for all three positions ran from July 25 to Aug. 22. During that time, two other individuals–Ryan Shapiro and Max Westbrook Jr.–filed for a council seat. Both withdrew their names from the race before the filing deadline expired.