Council Appoints Byron Buckels For Ward 4

Long-time Sanford resident Byron Buckels was sworn into the Sanford City Council at the May 28 Law and Finance Committee meeting. Buckels will represent Ward 4 – filling the seat previously held for 33 consecutive years by Walter McNeil, Jr.

Buckels is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served during Operation Desert Storm. He has served in the ministry for the past 21 years, during which he coordinated and served on mission trips both nationally and internationally to countries such as Japan, Bahamas, and Kenya, Africa.

A community activist, Buckels is a co-founder of The Nation of Big Brothers, an organization comprised of men that mentor young boys and provide positive influences for adult males. He has been instrumental in writing and securing grants for after school programs that continue to serve youth in our community.

Buckels was nominated to fill the Ward 4 seat by Billie McNeil, widow of Walter McNeil, Jr. He was chosen because he represents “the best of the old and the best of the new,” said Mayor Chet Mann during the meeting.

“McNeil has what I call hall-of-fame status,” Buckels told The Sanford Herald. “It can’t really be compared to. To be chosen [to fill his seat], it means a lot. Words can’t really say it.”

Read more about Buckels and his swearing in the May 29 edition of The Sanford Herald.