DEMOPOLIS – Charles E. Jones Sr. has three main priorities when the new city council convenes in October.

Jones edged out Freddie Charleston by 9 votes in the race for District 2, garnering 225 votes to Charleston’s 216.

“My first priority is to get government working again securing grants for the east side of town,” he said. “We need to be working because we’ve got open drainage ditches we need and we need to get the drainage solved.”

Infrastructure needs aren’t the only top priority for Jones, who vowed to “straighten out” some of the city’s department heads.

While he didn’t name any names, Jones said the idea needed to be stressed who they worked for.

“We’ve got some department heads we need to straighten out and make them feel that they work for the citizens of Demopolis,” he said.

A final priority deals with the city’s finances.

“I’ll try to stop the city employees and city council from using city money as an eraser for mistakes,” he said, noting the city had made a few “bad investments” in the past.

In other council races, Melvin Yelverton was elected in the primary over John Wallace, and Jack Cooley was certified as elected in District 5 after incumbent Mike Baker withdrew from the race. Thomas Moore, District 1, and Woody Collins, District 4 were unopposed.