By Myra Bean

A total of 104 voters participated in the Pope Special election Thursday to replace two open seats vacated by Michael Boyette and Ann Rikard, after they moved out of the Pope City limits.

Sheila Roebuck and Ken Powell were the top two vote getters with only three votes separating the two. Margie Clark came in third, just 10 votes behind Roebuck and seven behind Powell.

Roebuck, a lifelong Pope resident, said she loves Pope and cares what Pope looks like. One of her concerns is the upkeep of the Little Park. She and her cousins cleaned the park to make it look better last year for the holidays.

She is not sure if there is someone assigned to upkeep the park except for mowing. Roebuck said mowing is not enough to make the park look pretty.

She wants to get things planted like they are supposed to be. “It is a pretty little park,” Roebuck said.

“I would like to see the town come together and get it together,” she said.

Powell was on the board for about 12 years until a couple of years ago.

“Everybody was happy I was trying to get in there. They talked me into getting back in there and I accepted to see what I could do with it,” he said.

He is concerned about getting the annexed area looking like the rest of the town’s city limits. He wants to see the city limits sign moved to the new part and lights on the newly annexed part.

The newly elected members will be sworn in tonight, Aug. 20, at 6 p.m. at City Hall.