Two new faces were elected to the Salem City Council on Tuesday: Lisa Garst and Billy Jones.

Salem voters also chose to re-elect Jane Johnson, who was the top vote-getter by 254 votes over Jones.

"I'm really just thrilled, and I'm very honored and humbled too," Johnson said.

Jones, who owns a Salem sign company, said he, too, was humbled by being elected to the council.

He said he and the other candidates worked well together, and he believes that will continue with those serving on the council.

"It's about the city," he said. "It's not about us."

Garst said she is excited about being elected and is "profoundly grateful to my volunteers and the people of Salem for listening to me and responding."

"I know there will be a bit of a learning curve," she said.

About 20 percent of Salem's 15,742 voters went to the polls Tuesday. Of those, many already seemed to have made up their minds of who they were voting for, said some of the campaign workers.

For some voters, choices came down to past experiences with the candidates.

Wanda Alston said she was sure she would vote for Johnson and Mike Akers because of their respective experience on the city council and as a school administrator.

"We have a good city," she said. And as long as things don't change too drastically, "we'll be OK."

Andy Taliaferro, who helped organize a group of Salem residents to keep ConRock from operating a concrete plant near its neighborhood, campaigned for Johnson at the Salem Civic Center on Tuesday afternoon.

"She was one of the first people to help us, and that's why I'm backing her," he said.

Dot Eggleston said she took a recent neighborhood concern to some council members, including Johnson.

"It think Jane kind of listened to us," she said. Also, "I think we need some young voices in there," she said about her decision to vote for Garst, 41.

Though he will no longer be eligible to serve on the city council once he is sworn in for a temporary judgeship, Chris Clemens received 253 votes. He withdrew from the race too late to be removed from the ballot.

As the second highest vote-getter, Jones could potentially be asked to start his council service early by filling the unexpired term of Clemens, whose term runs through June 30. The newly elected council members will officially start their four-year terms July 1.

The city council plans to accept Clemens' resignation on Monday. They also plan to discuss how to fill his unexpired term during that meeting, City Manager Kevin Boggess said.

At that time, he said, the council "may come up with another name," he said. Or they may continue that agenda item and discuss it at a later meeting.

Now, the council is working on the city budget. Whoever fills Clemens' term will get to help with the budget process.

Jones said he'd be happy to fill Clemens' term if asked.

The council will appoint a new mayor from among its ranks during the first July meeting. The current mayor, Howard Packett, chose not to run for re-election.

Also Tuesday, Eric "Ric" Atkins was elected Salem's sheriff. Atkins, who ran unopposed in a special election, received 3,001 votes. The special election was called following the December suicide of former Sheriff Roger Surber.