Lompoc could soon have a new mayor as City Councilmember Jeremy Ball leads incumbent James Mosby in unofficial election results.
Ball is leading the race with nearly 60% of the vote, according to unofficial results Tuesday night.
Both candidates said they were somewhat surprised by the first wave of results.
It’s hard to say I’m surprised or not, Ball said.
Mosby, who is seeking another term as mayor, also said he was somewhat surprised.
For Lompoc resident Rosalba Obregon, the results so far are promising. She said she hopes the next mayor will bring positive changes to the city.
I am really happy because hopefully, he does something better than we had the last one, Obregon said.
Another resident, Sharon Boelhouwer, said she hopes the next mayor focuses on improving the city’s streets, including addressing potholes.
I’d like to see, especially, like, potholes would be number one thing, Boelhouwer said. He just had to be aggressive about what he wants done.
Ball said he wants to work with city staff and community members to identify projects that could help improve Lompoc.
He said his goal is to create a brighter, healthier and more attractive city.
I want to give them a mission. Let’s take on a chunk of this city, figure out what has to happen realistically for us to actually show a brighter, healthier, more attractive city, Ball said.
As Mosby faces the possibility of leaving office, he said his time as mayor has come with challenges, but he is proud of the projects he has helped move forward.
Mosby pointed to efforts to expand recreational opportunities and projects he said have been in the works for years.
He said he plans to remain involved in the community, regardless of the election outcome.
Mosby also said he believes Lompoc has made progress but still has work to do.
There’s always the talk Lompoc has a lot of potential. We were feeling it, we were seeing it, and we were moving the town forward, Mosby said. We just need to keep it really moving forward.
Ball also said he wants to listen to residents and work toward rebuilding consensus in the community, regardless of how they voted.
My job is to try to listen and to lead for people, whether they voted for me or not, Ball said. My job is to really work on rebuilding some consensus in the community, listening to everyone that has an opinion and trying to do right by them.
Ballots are still being counted, and election results remain unofficial.