WESTON -- City voters decided on a mayor Tuesday. It may take all the checks and balances of the post-election process to find out who that was.
In a race in which nearly 1,200 Weston residents cast ballots, challenger John Tucci led incumbent Terry Cogar by just three votes, 468-465. It was a statistical dead heat in percentages, too: 39.361 for Tucci; 39.108 for Cogar.
City Clerk Becky Swisher said the next step would be a canvassing of challenged ballots at 1 p.m. Monday in the municipal offices.
A third mayoral candidate, John Williams, had 256 votes, or 21.5 percent of the votes cast.
In other Weston races, Police Chief Rob Clem easily won re-election, while two council incumbents, Vicki Kerrigan and Allan Evans, also finished ahead in the unofficial tally. Another incumbent, Robbie Parks, finished behind Debra Wright in the race for the other council seat up for election.
Close to 50 percent of Weston's registered voters participated, Swisher said.
After the tally was announced, Mayor Cogar said he wasn't "sure of my reaction because I don't know the results."
Tucci called it "good news."
"I'd rather be up in a contested race than down. I was glad to see the turnout. It shows people care. Hopefully we'll win and make changes necessary to develop the city," Tucci said.
Clem was pleased with the turnout.
"I'm really pleased with residents coming out to vote for me," he said.
"That shows they have faith and respect in me. I'll give them what I've got. I promise them that."
Kerrigan said she was "really excited to be able to represent my community once again."
Clem received 855 votes. Steve Fallon received 251 votes, while George Blake received 88.
In the 1st Ward council race, Kerrigan received 140 votes, David Bush 111 and Charles Stover 45.
In the 3rd Ward, Allan Evans received 170 votes and Betty Brooks 139.
In the 4th Ward, Wright received 122 votes, Parks 95 and Rudy Pascasio Jr. 58.
Swisher was re-elected city clerk, running unopposed.
Staff writer Shannon Shreve can be reached at 626-1448.
