Julia Nelson will be sworn in Monday as the first African-American female mayor of Manning, Wisconsin.  It was a tight race for Nelson, who won by a mere 63 votes.

"I'm proud to be an African-American and a woman of course, I was created in this image," Nelson told wistv.com. “That is a factor, but I didn't give it much thought as far as entering the race or the results of the race.”

Like mayors in other cities big and small, Nelson will have to pay careful attention to fiscal matters. She said that she will not favor any department over another and wants to make sure that each gets what it needs, not just what it wants. Nelson said she also will take into consideration the voters’ needs, such as public parks and a pool, but plans to be very conservative but fair.

“I consider myself a very fair-minded individual,” she said. “I want to be mayor for all of Manning, and not just for certain pockets or communities of Manning. I want every citizen to know they can come to me at any time.”

(Photo: Robert J. Baker/The Item)