HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Warner Robins voters made their decision on who will fill former Councilman Daron Lee's City Council seat Tuesday night.
Derek Mack defeated David Reid, Catherine Harless, and Jeffrey Walker for the Post 1 City Council seat Tuesday.
Mack received 2,042 votes, Reid followed with 956 votes, Harless ended with 181 votes, while Walker captured 87 votes.
"Right now, I'm just numb, I'm ecstatic, I'm honored," Mack said about his win.
Mack said earlier Tuesday that he was glad to finally make it to Election Day, and went out to encourage people to take a few minutes to vote.
"It's just a product of all our hard work and we're just ready to cross the river and move on to bigger and better things and go to work," Mack said.
Mack graduated from Northside High School in 1987 before joining the military. He returned to Warner Robins in 1995 to work on Robins Air Force Base, and is now on the team that works on F-15s.
In February, Mack said tackling blight, strengthening the city's relationship with Robins Air Force Base, and closing the economic divide in Warner Robins were among his biggest goals if he were to win the seat.
"I want to represent every citizen in this city and I just want to thank them for voting, because like I said before, I'm not the most valuable player, the citizens of this city are what is important, and that's my main focus," said Mack.
Mack says he also wants to implement more after-school programs for young people in the community.
Now that he has the opportunity to serve, Mack says he is excited to represent the city that made him who he is today.
"I'm a Thomas Tornado -- Thomas Elementary School, a Tabor Tiger, and a Northside Eagle. I am homegrown. I am Warner Robins. Warner Robins is me and I represent those people in this city," Mack said.
Also in Houston County, people voted Tuesday to continue the ESPLOST tax, which will help build new schools.
People voted to continue the ESPLOST with 5,256 votes for and 743 votes against.
The Education SPLOST fund is up for renewal every five years, and the Houston County School System already has plans for that 1 percent sales tax.
They want to build a new middle school to relieve Bonaire and Perry middle schools and build two new elementary schools to help Langston Road and Matt Arthur elementary schools.
They also want to improve the look and safety at all 39 campuses, with parking improvements, surveillance camera upgrades and security fencing.
Superintendent Mark Scott says with 30,000 students and growing, the ESPLOST fund is the best tool they have to keep up.
ESPLOST will continue the current 1 percent sales tax already in place and is not a tax increase.
The fund will last until 2027.