GAINESVILLE - Barbara Brooks is Gainesville's newest city council member after winning Tuesday's runoff election to claim the Ward 3 seat on the council.
Brooks defeated challenger Andre Cheek in their bid to replace outgoing Ward 3 councilwoman Myrtle W. Figueras, who chose not to run for re-election.
In a conversation with WDUN held shortly after her Tuesday evening victory, Brooks said she was thankful for the opportunity to serve the people of Gainesville: "I thank them for entrusting me with this role, and I'm beholden to them to do the very best job that I can and maintain dignity and respect in that office. That's my priority from day one."
Brooks won the election handily, garnering nearly two-thirds of the ballots. According to Hall County Elections Director Charlotte Sosebee, out of 746 ballots cast, Brooks received 471 votes. That figure represents 63.14% of the total vote.
Sosebee said Cheek netted 275 votes, or just 36.86% to the total vote.
While she has several issues that she hopes to address during her tenure on the council, Brooks said her initial focus will be on learning to perform her duties to the utmost of her ability and fostering productive relationships with her fellow councilmembers.
"I'm gonna be in it to learn. I'm gonna be in it to work with the council. Surely there are things that I want to see done, but that won't be something I put up right away," she explained. "Right away, I'm going to learn."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/12/353491/brooks-wins-run-off-to-claim-ward-3-seat-on-gainesville-city-council