After a nearly four-month vacancy, the 1st District in Wilmington finally has a City Council representative again.
Former magistrate judge Linda Gray was approved by a 8-4 vote Thursday after being recommended by a committee of the whole to fill the seat two weeks ago.
Gray is president of the Brandywine Hills Community Association and a retired magistrate judge and probation and parole officer. When asked why she wanted to be on Council now, she said, “Why not?”
“I’ve been doing similar work for quite some time, and I like helping people.”
Gray says her concerns for the 1st District at this point are road maintenance, dogs at large and property crimes. She says she will also be listening to constituent concerns throughout the district.
As a candidate, Gray nearly fell short in committee. She made it through only when one council member changed her vote from ‘no’ to ‘yes.’
At-large Council member Rysheema Dixon was among those who voted against Gray’s appointment Thursday. Dixon said she was loyal to another candidate.“It was nothing personal toward Councilwoman Gray,” she said.
Councilman Vash Turner noted that with Gray’s appointment Wilmington City Council now has a record seven women serving.
The city charter-mandated process for filling a vacant seat by appointment was controversial, with some council members and citizens calling for a special election to be approved in Dover.
At Thursday’s meeting, Councilwoman Michelle Harlee described the process as “a rollercoaster.”
The first candidate to advance to this stage — Albert Mills— failed a full council vote last year. Mills is the twin brother of Nnamdi Chukwuocha, who last held the 1st District seat.
