BUTLER, Ky. — After a tied vote, the mayoral race in a Pendleton County city ended in a coin toss.
Incumbent Greg McElfresh and Mason Taylor each had 55 votes when all of the ballots were counted in Butler, Ky. Kentucky state law says tied elections must be decided by a coin toss, so after the final vote was counted, the Pendleton County clerk called in the sheriff to flip a coin.
The sheriff assigned heads to McElfresh and tails to Taylor.
"The coin circled around the floor about three times and spun and then it just flopped over on tails and I had this big exhale of relief," Taylor said.
The toss meant 25-year-old Taylor was the mayor-elect. The Butler native is a firefighter and paramedic currently sitting on city council.
"I’ve grown up here for 25 years, my grandparents have lived here for over 50 years," Taylor said.
Taylor said he has big plans for the city of more than 600 residents.
"Going forward, I want to expand us geographically so that way we can increase revenue in the city, but I also want to make the City of Butler a place where my kids can grow up and my kids’ kids can grow up," Taylor said.
He said he hopes to get started right away, working with the council to evaluate how things stand in Butler currently before deciding the next steps to take.
While he's glad he won, Taylor said he went into the election and the coin toss knowing — no matter the outcome — Butler would be in good hands.
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