St. Mary Voters Select Wyatt As Next Mayor

Carl Wyatt will take over the mayor’s chair again during a troubled time for the city of St. Mary.

Wyatt, 77, defeated incumbent Mayor Gloria Bader 58-45 in a special runoff election June 30. The pair had tied 37-37 in the June 2 election, with former Alderman Paul Franklin picking up another 10 votes [originally reported as nine votes].

The turnout for the special election was considerably higher, with 103 residents voting, compared to 84 on June 2. The June 2 municipal elections had been postponed from April 7 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wyatt, who served two separate terms as mayor, including an eight-year stretch, 1997-2005, said he felt obliged to seek a third term as the city faces severe financial difficulties.