LISBON, Ohio (WKBN) — The voters have spoken in Lisbon’s mayoral race.
Incumbent Pete Wilson won the vote by 59.52%, according to unofficial returns. He will now serve a second 4-year term.
Council president Dawn Thomas lost the race by less than 150 votes, according to returns from the Mahoning County Board of Elections Tuesday night.
Both ran as independent candidates.
Wilson said he was guardedly optimistic and pleasantly surprised with the results.
One thing Wilson said he would like to continue focusing on is getting grants for the village.
As for his priorities as he heads into another four years in office, he’s hoping council will be more open to fresh ideas, such as getting rid of parking meters downtown, which he finds that to be a detriment to businesses thriving
He wants to attract people to village in the hopes that they’ll want to stay.
He also said there are things they can do to make Lisbon better, citing upcoming infrastructure projects as a start. Wilson said the village’s infrastructure is crumbling and they can’t do improve it without help from federal government or state.
In terms of his biggest challenge heading into his second term, Wilson said it’s the declining population in the village. He says they need to reverse that, pointing out that in the decade-ending 2020, Lisbon lost 8% of population — a trend they “cannot continue.”
C. Aileen Blaine contributed to this report.
