Former Clarkesville City Councilwoman Barrie Aycock will soon be the city’s new mayor. Aycock was the only candidate to qualify to run for the position in the March 1, 2016 Special Election. Qualifying ended Friday at noon. Because the race for Clarkesville mayor was uncontested, Habersham County Board of Elections Supervisor Laurel Ellison says the election has been canceled.
The special election was called following the untimely death of Mayor Dr. Terry Greene in December. Aycock will fill his unexpired term. Exactly when she assumes office has yet to be seen. City officials are working with state election officials to determine whether Aycock can be sworn into office now or if she must wait until March. Aycock says she expects a decision by Monday. In the meantime, Mayor Pro Tem Casey Ramsey continues serving as acting mayor.
Stay the course
Aycock says she ran for the mayor’s seat at the urging of her fellow council members. She views the uncontested election as a mandate for city leaders to stay the course. “I am very honored and gratified by the fact that the citizens of Clarkesville felt enough confidence in the team that we have in place to not propose a candidate for mayor. I do feel like it was not so much an endorsement of me as it was an endorsement of the entire council,” says Aycock.
Although gratified, she says becoming mayor is bittersweet. “It was the last thing in the world that I ever thought I would do. What it came down to was that I felt and the council felt that, given the tragic circumstances that precipitated this and being in the middle of a four year plan, it was not the time for a new person to come onto the team without experience.”
Aycock is a retired businesswoman. She was first elected to the Clarkesville City Council in 2013. She resigned her council seat to run for mayor. A special election will be held during the May 24, 2016 General Primary to fill her vacated seat. Qualifying for that post begins on March 7th.
