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PELHAM – Incumbent Pelham Mayor Gary Waters will serve a third term in the position after defeating challenger Eldon “Don” Green in the city’s Aug. 25 elections.

Waters received 1,716 votes (about 65 percent) to Green’s 908 votes (about 35 percent), according to unofficial election results.

Waters said he decided to seek another term as mayor to continue building the city manager-council governing structure Pelham implemented several years ago.

“The last three years, we’ve had a city manager, which has changed how the mayor has done his job in Pelham,” Waters said. “I think our city manager needs more time to fully develop the city manager-council form of government. We’ve been more effective in the last three years than we’ve been in the previous five.”

Waters served in the Pelham Fire Department for 32 years prior to becoming an elected official in 2012.

“I’ve lived in Pelham 45 years, and I love this town,” he said. “It’s been good to me. There’s some unfinished business we have, and I didn’t want to walk away from it at this point.”

In Pelham’s other City Council races, two incumbents were re-elected, a newcomer was elected and runoffs are set for two seats.

For Council Place 1, a runoff will be held between Scott Christian, who received 974 votes (about 38 percent), and David Coram, who received 939 votes (about 36 percent). Paul Howell earned 662 votes (about 26 percent).

For Council Place 2, Larry Palmer defeated incumbent Ron Scott. Palmer received 1,507 votes (58 percent) to Scott’s 1,090 votes (42 percent).

For Council Place 3, a runoff will be held between incumbent Beth McMillan, who received 1,166 votes (about 45 percent), and Rick Wash, who received 858 votes (about 33 percent). Chad Leverett earned 543 votes (about 21 percent).

For Council Place 4, incumbent Maurice Mercer defeated Becky Beall. Mercer received 1,586 votes (about 61 percent), while Beall received 1,021 votes (about 39 percent).

For Council Place 5, incumbent Mildred Lanier defeated Danny Barry. Lanier received 1,623 votes (63 percent) to Barry’s 952 votes (about 37 percent).