Perhaps the one thing nearly everyone can agree on after Tuesday is they are glad the City of Thomasville elections are over. If nothing else, it certainly captured the interest of a lot of people. Judging by the turnout for the runoff that ended the campaign season, that interest held up through the final tallying of votes.

In the November general election, more than 2,500 people cast ballots in the at-large city council seat race. Participation generally declines substantially for a runoff, but this time, the number of voters fell only slightly, with more than 2,200 people.

There were many people who intimated that the recently finished election was one of the nastiest and brutal campaigns they could recall in city politics. 

For the city’s sake, we hope the tenor conveyed during the last few weeks and months does not carry over into the start of the next council term. If it does, however, there could be conflict and controversy emanating from the council. It does not matter to us whether the council gets along harmoniously or is constantly at odd. It doesn’t affect how we report the goings-on and business there. As a media outlet, we don’t wish to engender controversy. If it’s there, we report on it. If it’s not, we don’t.

There are times when differing points of view, expressed in open and honest manners, can be helpful in guiding policy. However, continued discord and rancor may not be in the city’s best interest long-term.

Already, the election has affected at least one high-ranking city official, who has resigned from his post citing the results as a determining factor. Whether the incoming council members have in mind sweeping changes among city staff remains to be seen.

The city is fortunate to have a great number of people who are very good at what they do. The city actually is quite well run. Thomasville does not levy property taxes, which is a tremendous feather in the cap for a city of this size, or any city. 

There are issues for the city to tackle going forward, street paving being among them. There also is the question of what do with the Roses property. Though the city has been criticized for purchasing the Caterpillar building, it very well may turn out to be a prudent decision — the facility is drawing great interest from prospects and hopefully will be home to a new enterprise that puts hundreds of Thomas County residents to work.

As we are close to embarking on one of the city’s signature events, the annual Victorian Christmas, we should be reminded that there are a great deal of positives about the city. We hope the future holds just as many, if not more, reasons to be thankful to live in Thomasville.