CHINA GROVE — There will be a new mayor in China Grove after town council member Rodney Phillips defeated the incumbent, Mayor Charles Seaford, in a close race decided by fewer than six percentage points.

Phillips received 199 votes to Seaford’s 177.

The mayor-elect is wrapping up his second consecutive term, but he also held office in the 1990s. Back then, council terms were only two years.

Having spent the last eight years on the council, he attributes his recent electoral success to the type of councilor he has been.

“I have been able to stay connected to a lot of people in town, certainly the downtown business,” Phillips said. “I am a transparent person.”

Another area where Phillips sees strength is attentiveness to residents’ concerns from himself and the council.

“When people have brought issues to the board, we have taken them seriously, and we have resolved them,” Phillips said. “People have seen positive results from the actions of the council.”

Phillips feels poised to take the reins, given what the town council has accomplished during his tenure.

“All the challenges and the opportunities we have right now are a result of the work the board has done over the past eight years,” Phillips said. “All of the economic development is a result of that work. That will be a big challenge over the next four years to get that right.

“The second one is housing. The work we have done has led to large businesses wanting to invest in the area. We have homes being built and want to make sure we are steering that development in the right direction.”

Another one of the mayor-elect’s priorities involves China Grove’s streetscapes.

“We have 21 miles of streets in town,” Phillips said. “We are doing a study to see which ones need to be replaced first, and we need to get active on that.”

He also indicated a desire to see increased attention on China Grove’s recreational spaces.

It’s going to be different for Phillips now that the individuals he has worked with will no longer be fellow councilors.

“Those relationships will change because my role will change,” Phillips said. “The job of mayor is to make sure consensus and government happen. The mayor’s role is to make sure communication happens during the month and that everyone knows what is going on, not just at the meetings.

“I am not a person who likes to, at the monthly meeting, air our differences. Government happens (all month long), and the mayor has to facilitate that.”

Phillips added that he is grateful for his relationship with the outgoing Seaford.

“I am forever grateful for the years of service that Seaford gave this town,” Phillips said. “He is a good friend of mine. If he had won, China Grove would still be in good hands.”