The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG - It may be too close to call. But with two votes ahead of current council member Scott Nettles, Deb Callahan may become the newest member of the Waitsburg City Council later this month.

For the most part, the Truth & Trust slate of canidates headed by Mayor Walt Gobel returned to office in the city's annual elections. Gobel received 216 votes as mayor, while Kevin House got the highest number of votes as councilman with 228, followed by Carl Newell with 216, and Marty Dunn and KC Kuykendahl each with 207.

Callahan received 156 votes, compared to Nettles' 154. There are no designated positions on the council, but only five seats so the runoff amounts to musical chairs. The candidate with the least number of votes is out.

The count will remain open until the council certifies the vote on Wednesday, April 17, but this long after the elections were held, it's unlikely more votes correctly postdated to election day will come into city hall, city administrator Randy Hinchliffe said.

With the size of Waitsburg's population, elections have been decided by as few as one vote in the past, he said. Callahan would be the first woman to serve on the council since the Truth & Trust candidate were first elected in 2010.