Eatonville elects councilwoman, passes charter changes

Eatonville has elected a new member to the Town Council, but residents will recognize a familiar face.

Former Eatonville Council member Marilyn Davis-Sconions won the election for Seat Five after a special election on Dec. 10, defeating opponent Barbara King-Loyd with 58.50 percent of the votes, according to unofficial results from the Orange County Supervisor of Elections.

Davis-Sconions, who did not respond to a request for comment, received 179 votes to King-Loyd’s 127 votes.

The election fills an empty council seat left by Eatonville Mayor Eddie Cole, who was elected to fill the position of mayor in June after former Mayor Anthony Grant was suspended from public office in March in the wake of voter fraud charges.

Cole said that Davis brings a sense of stability to the Town Council.

“For Ms. Marilyn Davis to be back…that’s major,” Cole said. “To have her means so much to this city.”

“You need that – someone who’s really accountable to finances.”

But Davis-Sconions shouldn’t get too comfortable in her newly acquired council seat just yet. She’ll have to run for the seat once again come March – a requirement in the existing town charter.

It’s rules such as this that pushed the town to make a series of changes to the charter, leading to a revised charter that was also on the ballot Saturday, passing by an 83.91 percent vote.

The new charter removes the requirement for special elections caused by vacancies and instead allows the council to appoint an interim council member until the next regular election.

The new charter also extends the length of a council member’s term from three years to four years.

“That will be a financial savings and that will give an opportunity for an elected official to really get some things accomplished,” Cole said.

The revised charter also lays out a citizen referendum process where “the registered voters of the Town shall have power to require reconsideration by the Council of any adopted ordinance.”

“I think it’s healthy,” Cole said. “It gives balance. It will allow the people to know that they’re the stakeholders. We work for them, they don’t work for us.”