Dec. 15. First-term Commissioner Michael Miltich, the top vote-getter in the November general election, will be sworn in Monday night Dec. 18. He will also officially become mayor pro tem, serving in the mayor’s absence at Town Board meetings and public functions.
Miltich and wife Ann were traveling Dec. 4 when the rest of the town board was sworn in as well as the former mayor pro tem, Woody Washam, who ran unopposed for mayor. Miltich will be the town’s delegate to the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, a powerful group that holds sway over major highway projects.
Miltich, who at one time was worried he might lose his re-election bid, came out ahead of incumbents like Dave Gilroy, Thurman Ross and Jim Duke, and surpassed candidates from The Peninsula (Duke, Kurt Naas and Denis Bilodeau) as well as three women candidates—Tricia Sisson, Michelle Ferlauto and Ava Callender. Even political analysts were surprised that none of the female candidates won, leaving an all-male town board for yet another election cycle.
It was an 11-way race for only five seats on the town board. Here’s how it played out percentage-wise:
Michael Miltich — 11.46%
Kurt Naas — 11.31%
Dave Gilroy — 11.20%
Denis P. Bilodeau — 10.72%
Thurman Ross Jr. — 10.63%
Jim Duke — 10.61%
Tricia Sisson — 8.78%
William Rakatansky — 8.08%
Michelle Ferlauto — 7.35%
Ava Callender — 7.30%
Richard J. Stilwell, Jr. — 2.29%
Also at Monday’s meeting, the town board will also consider a hike infees charged for tournaments at the Westmoreland Athletic Complex, from $100 to $225 per day. “PARC’s contract tournament provider requested a fee increase for 2018 in order for the contract to remain financially viable,” said Parks Director Troy Fitzsimmons. The proposed fee increases were unanimously approved by the PARC Commission at their Dec. 7 meeting.
Also under consideration will be an increase in certain fees for Picnic Shelter rentals including rates for the town’s most popular shelters: Bailey Road Park #3, Robbins Park, and Smithville Park. The rental fees will increase $5 per hour. The meeting will begin at 7 pm in Town Hall on Catawba Avenue.
