Copeland out after voters support Betty Hart, Franklin Hibbs for city council

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018 — After the votes were counted Tuesday night at the county clerk’s office, it was apparent that city voters opted to send not one, but two new faces to represent them on the six-seat Bardstown City Council.

Betty Kelley Hart was the third-highest vote-getter in the race for one of the six council seats. She was third behind incumbent councilmen Roland “Coach Roe” Williams and Joe Buckman.

The fourth and fifth-top vote-getters were incumbents David Dones and Bill Sheckles, who will retain their seats on the council.

The race for the sixth and final council seat appeared to be between incumbent Councilwoman Kecia Copeland and newcomer Franklin Hibbs IV. In the end, it was Hibbs who narrowly topped Copeland by 83 votes to earn the sixth council seat.

BARDSTOWN MAYOR. Bardstown Mayor Dick Heaton won in a landslide over challenger Frank Thompson, with Heaton receiving 78.6 percent of the vote. Heaton’s win makes him the first Bardstown mayor to be elected to two terms since former Mayor Gus Wilson’s 24 years as the city’s mayor.

NEW HAVEN MAYOR. The only other competitive race for mayor in Nelson County was in New Haven. Former longtime mayor and city commissioner Tessie Cecil defeated Jane Masse, 190 votes to 49.

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