Not afraid to work or to face problems, is how newly-elected Fairmount councilman Max Mulkey described himself.

Mulkey won the runoff election Dec. 1, getting 73 votes (57.48 percent) to Teru “Teddy” Lapaquette's 54 votes (42.52 percent).

Mulkey is a life long resident of Fairmount, moving briefly in 1967 for work. He returned in 1990. He currently works for American General Life Insurance, whom he has been with for 28 years.

He is married to Jo Ann Pack and they have five children and seven grandchildren. Children are Truman Mulkey, of Kingston; Tony Mulkey, of Hiram; Teresa Mulkey, of Cartersville; Kenneth Boring, of Fairmount; and Crystal Hunt, of Fairmount. Grandchildren include Tristian Freeman, Dylan Wilhoight, Savannah Wilhoight, Hayden Fowler, Trace Mulkey, Ansley Mulkey, and Emily Mulkey.

“I’d just love to see Fairmount grow and prosper,” said Mulkey.

Mulkey said he’d wanted to run for the city council for several years, but because Fairmount had such good members on its board, he waited. When two incumbents announced they would not seek re-election, he found his chance.

“I had some people ask me to run and others came to support me and I thank them,” said Mulkey.

He hopes to continue the work of the current board, including working on drainage issues that the city is dealing with and finding a permanent place for Fairmount’s City Hall.

“I’d really like to see some more business come in,” he said. “We need to give our young people an opportunity to work in town. I’ll give Fairmount 100 percent of my time and effort.”