By KJ Mushung
Dumfries, Va. – As Dumfries looks to elect a new town mayor in a special election, two councilmembers said they want the job.
The interim mayor of Dumfries, Nancy West, and Councilman Gerald Foreman II both announced they are running for mayor in a special election.
West was serving as vice mayor when Mayor Fred Yohey Jr., passed away Nov. 6. The Dumfries Town Council appointed her as interim mayor of Dumfries in a closed session Nov. 15. In the same resolution, council members also appointed Councilman Willie J. Toney as interim vice mayor and town citizen Gwen P. Washington as a councilmember.
West said she made up her mind to run after receiving a lot of encouragement from town citizens.
“After a couple of meetings I thought… I’d really like to see things through,” said West.
“I can be a full-time mayor because I’m retired. So that is one of the advantages. I feel like I have a good working relationship with the staff and with county officials, which I think is very important.”
Foreman announced his bid for mayor in December. According to his website, his goals for fiscal year 2012, which we are currently in, are to add new crosswalks traversing U.S. 1, dredge the Port of Dumfries, provide monetary incentives to municipal employees who live within town limits and add new bike paths in the town
The special election is set for May 1, according to Town Clerk Dawn Hobgood. Normally, the mayor of Dumfries serves a four-year term. However, this election will determine who will serve the remaining two years of Yohey’s term.
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