Rodney Berry, Marion's 22nd Mayor, and Betsy Atkinson, the newly-elected Marion City District 3 Council member, were sworn in as the newest City of Marion officials Monday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in City Hall.
Marion Probate Judge T. Carroll Atkinson III presided over the ceremony. About 40 city and county officials and employees and family and friends gathered for the event.
"I am humbled," Berry told the audience, by the support shown me. Berry lost in two close races for the mayor's seat in the 2001 and 2005 elections, to the former mayor, the late Bobby Gerald.
Following Gerald's March 22 death, Berry declared himself a write-in candidate and faced Nancy Harrleson on April 14.
Berry is the right man at the right time, Carroll Atkinson told the group.
Official results show that Berry defeated Harrelson 1,299 votes to 619; Betsy Atkinson won her district’s seat over incumbent Ronald Davis by 10 votes, 199 to 189; and incumbents Poiette McGill-Bromell and Michael Baker retained the district Seats 5 and 6, respectively, as they were unopposed. Other members on council not facing election are Bobby Davis, elected Mayor Pro Tem, and Ronald and Ralph Atkinson.
"This is a new day for the city of Marion. We will progress and go forward," Berry said.
After the April 14 elections, Ronald Davis and Harrelson lodged protests regarding the city election, alleging among other things, that voters were bribed. The election results were certified by the Marion Election Commission on April 17 and a protest hearing was conducted this past Saturday.
The Election Commission upheld the election of Berry as mayor and Atkinson as a council member following the protest hearing. Berry said he was relieved with the outcome of the hearing and fully expected the outcome, “because the allegations were untrue and unfounded in everyway.”
“I’m ready to bring the folks together now and get to work. I extend the olive branch to anyone that opposed me because we need everybody in this city,” Berry said Saturday.
On Monday morning, Berry said he discovered that the allegation of a deceased woman casting an absentee ballot is false and that he visited the woman. Harrelson contended that the voter died in February but cast a March 17 absentee ballot for Berry.
Berry said Saturday that the vote, cast on March 17, was before his candidacy started. Looking into that particular allegation, Berry said he discovered no death certificate was filed and no record of death was found at the county’s probate court.
According to Marion County Voter Registration and Election Commission Director Teresa Moody, Harrelson admitted she made a mistake regarding that particular vote.
“It’s slander … it proves the lengths some people will go to… (filing a protest) without valid information…” Berry said. “I have not participated, engaged or authorized any activity that doesn’t coincide with the state ethics,” Berry said.
“I have no knowledge of any wrongdoing. I ran a fair and honest campaign,” Atkinson said Saturday, adding that she thinks the allegations are untrue.
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