(WKYT) – Voters in Stanford will elect a new mayor in November following the death of Mayor Dalton Miller, who died earlier this summer after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Two candidates are seeking the seat: retired police officer Joe Gilliland and Nehemiah Wilkinson, who previously dispatched for state police and now works for a criminal justice information service. Both say they want to carry on the legacy Miller left behind.
The candidates
“I want to follow in the footsteps of the past two mayors we’ve had,” Gilliland said. “I’ve been involved in Stanford since 1976. I’ve watched the progress especially in the last 7 years.”
Wilkinson said his connection to the city runs deep. “I want to be mayor because I love this town. It’s a town I grew up in. I can remember riding my bike down many of the sidewalks, many of these streets. It’s a place I want my kids to grow up in and be proud of when where they come from,” he said.
What each candidate is focused on
Gilliland said he would prioritize city personnel and resources. “I will focus on keeping the personnel we have and improving equipment so they can get the job done,” he said.
Wilkinson said he wants to bring new approaches to city challenges. “With those new challenges I want to use new fresh ideas to help solve whatever problems come to our city,” he said. He also emphasized youth engagement, saying including young people in conversations about the town’s future “and allow them to create an investment in the finished product is what’s really important.”
A city that has lost several leaders
Stanford has seen the deaths of multiple mayors in recent years. Before Miller’s passing, the city lost Scottie Ernst, who died in a mowing accident while in office. Before that, T.J. Hill died after winning an election but before his term could begin.
Both Gilliland and Wilkinson said the losses were tragic and that they want to carry on the tradition those leaders established.
Background
Miller endorsed Gilliland for an interim mayoral role before his death; Jeremy Johnson currently serves in that interim capacity. A third candidate, Bill Miracle, was in the race but dropped out and endorsed Wilkinson.