NATCHEZ — On Tuesday, Natchez residents re-elected one former aldermen and appointed a new face to the board.

Just before 7:30 p.m. Bob Pollard learned he was re-elected to his former position as Ward 3’s aldermen.

As election officials posted poll results on the wall Pollard counted and recounted each digit.

Pollard defeated candidate Gwen Ball with approximately 55 percent of the vote.

At a victory party Pollard said he believed he was re-elected because he has the trust of the voters in his ward.

“You just do the right thing,” he said. “That’s what people want.”

Pollard also said he felt his family-oriented campaign helped him clench victory.

“We knocked on every door in Ward 3,” he said of his efforts with his wife and two daughters.

Pollard said in his next four years in office he hopes to end the Natchez Police Department’s reputation as a training ground.

“They get one year of experience and they leave,” he said. “We need to raise their salaries and keep our officers.”

And while Pollard celebrated with family and friends there was another nearby celebration for the board’s newest member.

Mark Fortenbery defeated Charles Zuccaro with 81 percent of the vote and secured his spot as Ward 5’s newest aldermen.

Ward 5’s longtime aldermen David Massey did not run for re-election.

This will be Fortenbery’s first time holding public office.

“I was anxious when I first decided to run,” he said.

But Fortenbery said once he made up his mind to run his nervousness left him.

Fortenbery’s goal as aldermen will be to address the needs of Ward 5, he said.

“They elected me,” he said. “And I owe them my help.”

Fortenbery said he is hoping to address quality of life issues for the voters of Ward 5.

“I’m going to learn the ropes and start working with the city,” he said.