Members of Waynesboro City Council selected a new mayor and vice mayor at an organizational meeting Monday night, and the vote was historic in nature.
Ward C representative Kenny Lee was selected as mayor by a 5-0 vote. Lee is the first Black mayor in the City of Waynesboro.
Ward A representative Lorie Jean Akanbi, a freshman Councilor, was selected as vice mayor by a 4-1 vote. Akanbi is the second Black woman to serve on Waynesboro City Council and the first Black vice mayor for the city. Elzena Anderson was elected to the Ward A seat in 2016 but ended her term early, resigning her seat effective March 1, 2020.
Politics perhaps?
While governing bodies are sometimes criticized for business being discussed outside of regular meetings, it is often the case that Councilors meet one on one ahead of time so there are no surprises on votes of this nature.
Former Vice Mayor Jim Wood seemed to catch the majority of Council members off guard with his nomination of Akanbi for vice mayor.
After Wood nominated Akanbi, she nominated Terry Short Jr., leading to what appeared to be some confusion on the dais.
Since Akanbi’s nomination was made first, the procedure was to vote on her nomination, and if that failed, they would move on to the second nomination made for Short.
Short, who was called to cast his vote first, voted against Akanbi, leading one to wonder if the plan going into tonight could have been to choose Short, the only other nominated Council member, as vice mayor.
Short declined to comment on the speculation. However, the quick nomination could have been retribution against Short for demanding Wood resign after his controversial remarks on his Facebook talk show in 2023. Former Mayor Lana Williams and Lee both publicly asked Wood to step down as vice mayor but did not call for his resignation.
While parties are usually not a part of local politics, Jeremy Sloat received the Waynesboro Republican Committee endorsement for the at-large seat in November, and his letter of support was signed by Wood.
With the election of Akanbi and re-election of Short, along with Lee, Waynesboro City Council now has an independent majority. Therefore, it was logical to assume that Wood would not be selected for the mayor role despite his status as vice mayor for the two-year term ending in 2024.
‘A great night for Waynesboro’
Regardless of what the plan was, Short said he is thrilled with the new leadership in the city.
“I’m so excited,” Short told AFP after the meeting. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.”
At the start of the regular meeting, Lee addressed his fellow Council members and those in attendance saying his appointment was “special.”
“I just want to take the opportunity to say thank you to my colleagues for electing me mayor,” Lee said. “It’s a special day for me for a lot of reasons.
“I plan to do the best job that I can. It’s a blessing to be here. It’s a blessing to serve, so thank you for that.”
Despite his dissenting vote, Short said he is thrilled for Akanbi to serve in the vice mayor role.
“She is such a hard worker as demonstrated by her performance in the election but also just a civic-minded person who loves her community and wants to give back not just for her ward but for the entire city.
“I think it’s a great night for Waynesboro,” Short said.
Other matters
Council also selected members to serve on local boards and commissions as part of the organizational meeting:
- CAPSAW (Community Action Partnership of Staunton, Augusta and Waynesboro) board: Lorie Jean Akanbi
- Planning Commission: Kenny Lee
- Parks and Recreation Commission: Jeremy Sloat
Short was first elected to Council in 2016 and has previously served as both mayor and vice mayor.
Lee and Wood began their terms in January 2023.
This was the first meeting for Akanbi and Sloat, who were both elected in November and began their terms this month.
The Waynesboro mayor receives $10,120 annually in compensation; all other Councilors receive $9,100. Council members are not eligible for group health benefits.
Waynesboro City Council will hold its annual planning retreat on Friday.
Related stories
For additional coverage, search “Waynesboro City Council” on Augusta Free Press.
- Waynesboro City Council members to select mayor, vice mayor tonight
- The gavel is up for grabs: Who will be the new mayor in Staunton and Waynesboro?
- Next in line? Kenny Lee open to the idea of serving as mayor in Waynesboro
- Waynesboro: Lorie Strother to be a voice for the East side in new role as Council member
- Waynesboro: Independents win two of three contested seats on City Council
- Waynesboro City Council member asks Jim Wood to resign over Pete Buttigieg slur
- City Council members, city residents, urge Waynesboro Vice Mayor Jim Wood to resign
- Waynesboro vice mayor hits Buttigieg with gay slur after asking for federal money
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Crystal Graham
