Tarpon Springs, FLorida Mayor Chris Alahouzos won a second consecutive term on Tuesday by garnering about 56 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results.
Alahouzos, 68, said he ran a campaign based on the record of his first term, which was defined by being in touch with residents and advocating for city services.
After his victory, he posted a message on Facebook. “Thank you everyone for coming out and voting, I will continue to work for the citizens of Tarpon Springs, and always know you can call me with any concerns. I work for you the people, and I owe this position to all of you! Thank you so much!”
Alahouzos and his family emigrated to the United States from the Greek island of Kalymnos when he was fourteen. His father was a sponge diver.
The Tarpon Springs mayor was a technology expert for Verizon and has spent decades in public service, including years of cultural volunteer work connecting Tarpon Springs with Kalymnos and other Greek islands through a sister-city program.
Alahouzos also established the “Plato Academy,” a highly regarded charter school in Pinellas County, Florida, with campuses in Tarpon Springs, Clearwater, Largo, Palm Harbor, Seminole, and St. Petersburg.
The mayor said his priorities for his second term will focus on completing the massive dredging of the Anclote River and investing in infrastructure, such as getting the city completely off septic tanks and instituting a new type of wastewater treatment.
Tarpon Springs, in Pinellas County, Florida, resembles a Greek island, with its blue and white buildings, street names, boats in the harbor, and the Greek-themed shops and restaurants.
The picturesque town has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US. Many of them still work in the sponge industry which was begun by their Greek ancestors.
Source: usa.greekreporter.com