(June 22, 2017) A changing of the guards occurred last week in Snow Hill with LaToya Purnell replacing Michael Pruitt as the Western District Town Council representative.
Purnell, along with Central District representative Jenny Hall, were sworn into office for two-year terms during the council meeting last Tuesday.
Appearing at his last council meeting in an official role, Pruitt accepted an accommodation for his service from Mayor Charlie Dorman and also referenced his time as a local educator.
“I can put it right next to the one that says ‘Michael Pruitt, vice principal,’” he said.
Leading the opening prayer at the council meeting was Pastor Lyonell Purnell, Sr., from God’s Leading Church Transformation Ministry in Berlin, who in addition to being LaToya Purnell’s father also has a longstanding connection to Pruitt.
“[Purnell, Sr.] was one of my first kids at Berlin Middle School,” Pruitt said. “One of my first favorite kids.”
After her official swearing in, LaToya Purnell, acknowledging the room packed with supporters, said she is prepared to fill Pruitt’s vacated seat.
She also heaped praise on Trish Goodsell, assistant to the town manager, for her assistance during the election process.
Purnell defeated fellow candidate Sylvester Dale by a final vote tally of 45-38 during the May 2 election. Dorman announced the ending numbers before swearing in Purnell.
 The hard-fought, but amicable contest, saw both Purnell and Dale working diligently on community outreach by knocking on every door in thier district seeking support.
Dorman, who congratulated and shook hands with both Purnell and Hall, noted that the central district representative ran unopposed.