Gill, Allen lead in race for Langley council Position 4 | UPDATE

Thomas Gill is one step closer to a seat on the Langley City Council.

Gill was leading in the three-way race for Position 4, followed by Bruce Allen and Jonathon Moses, according to the early vote tally in the Primary Election.

The top two candidates will advance to the November election.

Gill, who has unsuccessfully sought a position on the council three times, had 34 percent of the vote in the first count of ballots Tuesday evening. Allen was in second with 33 percent of the vote, followed by Moses with 31 percent.

"To be honest, I'm a little amazed it's as close as it is," Gill said. "I was expecting Jonathan Moses to receive fewer votes."

Gill led Allen by four votes with 135, and was in front of Moses by 10.

He wasn't the only one who was surprised with the results.

"Gill's the last guy I'd think would be in first, based on what I've seen of him," Allen said. "I don't know much about him. He's just a young kid; he's in his 30's or something. But, well good for him."

Moses, eliminated from the running, appreciated the votes he received.

"I'm thankful for the support that I got," Moses said. "I wish both Thomas and Bruce the best of luck in the upcoming competition."

Allen, a retired 70-year-old Army command sergeant major, is ready for the challenge ahead.

"I guess I'll go at it hardcore, I haven't really been going at it hardcore up until now," Allen said. "I'll put more energy into this than I did for the primaries."

Allen entered the race to change city hall and the council's discourse, which he said was ineffective and influenced too much by Councilman Robert Gilman.

With his election, Allen said, much-needed diversity will come to Langley City Hall.

Allen vehemently opposed Prop. 1., as did Gill.

Gill said he was not surprised Prop. 1 failed.

"I am very happy about those results so far," Gill said.

As a Langley political veteran, Gill has plans for Langley to be more affordable for businesses and residents. It starts with a lower base fee for utilities, and includes an initiative to entice new homeowners to town by focusing on in-city development.

The 27-year-old Edgecliff resident is an advocate for further infrastructure such as sewers, storm drains and sidewalks. The council's elimination of some of the complex land-use proposals in the city's comp plan was also supported by Gill.

With a council seat near, Gill is ready to push forward and make his case clear. He said his plan now is to get his message to the voters via flyers and information on his campaign website.

"Once I know the results I can think about what the strategy should be," Gill said.

Contact South Whidbey Record Sports, South Whidbey School District, South Whidbey Fire/EMS Ben Watanabe at bwatanabe@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360-221-5300.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.