By Stephen Floyd
Voters in Scotts Mills have given Mayor Paul Brakeman a fourth term in office after he received an overwhelming majority of votes in the Nov. 8 election, according to initial results.
As of 10 p.m. Nov. 8, Brakeman had received 89 votes, or 79.5 percent of those cast for mayor, compared to challenger Jason Axness, who received 23 votes, or 20.5 percent.
First elected in 2016, Brakeman said his re-election means voters want to see him stay the course.
“I still have a job to do, I guess,” he said.
Brakeman said his priority moving forward will be to increase community outreach, with elected officials engaging residents in more meaningful ways to develop a clearer idea of their needs and priorities.
“We need to have more of the community involved, and I need to figure out a way to do that, even just telling us what they need,” he said.
Brakeman said he knows local residents want to keep the city from growing too fast and to maintain its small-town feel. He added, if growth is coming, there needs to be a plan to manage it at a steady pace.
“My impression is we really don’t want the town to grow too big,” he said. “If we’re going to have to expand the city, that’s a process that’s going to take some time.”
The mayor also had encouraging words for Axness, with Brakeman saying he was glad someone was willing to step up and try to have a positive impact on the city. Brakeman said he hopes Axness will remain involved in civic leadership and find ways to serve Scotts Mills.
“I’m always happy to have people try to get involved in the town, so I hope we could use [Axness’] support in other ways,” said Brakeman.
Axness said he does intend to remain engaged, and will continue attending City Council meetings and speaking up on important issues. He also congratulated Brakeman on his win, and encouraged Brakeman to keep up the work that has instilled confidence in voters.
“He’s doing a good job,” said Axness. “… The town seems pretty happy.”
Axness added he is not done seeking public office, and may make another try for the mayor’s office in a couple of years. If that is the case, Brakeman said he is ready for a rematch.
“Maybe next time [Axness] will do better, maybe he’ll beat me,” he said.
