Wyatt wins Colbert runoff

Tim Wyatt defeated Ellyn Trinrud 42-36 Dec. 1 to win the open seat at Colbert’s city council table.

“They were both very good candidates,” Colbert mayor John Waggoner said. “I feel bad that we couldn’t have both of them.”

Wyatt also serves as chief of Colbert’s Fire Department, which is operated separately from the city government. His victory ends an eventful 2009 political season in Colbert that included two special elections and Waggoner announcing the end of his 40-year run as mayor.

The spot on the council came open after Chris Peck vacated his seat to run for Waggoner’s mayoral post. Waggoner opted not to seek re-election.

Trinrud, Wyatt and Reginald Hunter all ran for Peck’s open seat in a tight race back in November. Trinrud garnered 31 votes to Wyatt’s 22 and Hunter’s 20, but didn’t win a majority, forcing the runoff between her and Wyatt.

Tuesday’s race turned out to be as tight as the original election.

“They were running so close there for a while, I thought we might have a tie,” Waggoner said.

Trinrud was also involved in the other runoff in 2009, losing to Evelyn Patton Power in April in the race to fill the vacated seat of former councilman Jeff Roberts.

Wyatt, a nine-year resident of the city, joins a new-look council that includes Roger Fortson, Bert Robinson, Patton Power and Peck as mayor, starting in January.

Waggoner, who’s served as mayor since 1969, will stay on at city hall as an administrative assistant.