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During his first year in office, Saffo consolidated the city's water and sewage departments; initiated a review of the salaries of municipal employees, cautioning voters that fair salaries would require higher taxes; and began to investigate the economic potential of using revenue from the State's
369:
Having won every mayoral election since his appointment in 2006, Saffo became
Wilmington's longest-serving mayor after he again won reelection on November 7, 2017, surpassing the record set in 1937 by Walter H. Blair, who held the office for 11 years. As of 2023, Saffo is serving his eighth
259:
Saffo first expressed interest in joining the
Wilmington City Council in 2003, later successfully campaigning for a seat in November of the same year. In May 2006, nearing the end of Saffo's first term, Mayor Spence Broadhurst announced his upcoming relocation to
264:
and intention to resign his position. On May 10, Saffo was nominated to fill
Broadhurst's unexpired term by Mayor Pro-Tem James Quinn, a motion which was approved unanimously, with Saffo assuming the mayoralty on June 11, 2006.
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hotel room tax to build a new convention center, with construction underway by 2009. The convention center, which opened in 2010, is regarded as having been successful in expanding the city's convention and tourism business.
994:
240:. Subsequently, Saffo began working at Hanover Realty Group, a real estate firm founded by his father, Doky Saffo, in 1965. In 2010, Hanover Realty merged with Seacoast Realty, Inc., a
984:
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Consecutively winning every election since assuming
Wilmington's mayoralty, Saffo is the longest-serving mayor in the city's history, carrying out his eighth term as of 2023.
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As of May 2023, in addition to the mayoralty, Saffo continues to work as a real estate agent with Sea Coast
Advantage. He is a member of the St. Nicholas
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on
September 8, 2008, when Wilmington became the first city in the United States to switch over from the previous
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585:"City Council's changing of the Guard; A new start; Broadhurst sworn in; Padgett named mayor pro tem"
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533:
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Map of the 2019 Wilmington
Mayoral Election, which Saffo won narrowly against Devon Scott
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in
November 2003, serving in the role until his appointment as mayor in December 2006.
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189:; 1960) is an American politician and real estate businessman serving as the current
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907:"Saffo makes history with another election win; Barnett to join council incumbents"
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16:
American politician serving as mayor of
Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
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766:""Beam signing" indicates there's no turning back on Convention Center"
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Born
Vassilios Avgerinos Saffo in 1960, the son of first-generation
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456:"City Council Members: Mayor Bill Saffo | City of Wilmington, NC"
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immigrants, Saffo is a native Wilmingtonian. Graduating from
556:"CoastLine Candidate Interviews: Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo"
244:-affiliated company, since operating as Sea Coast Advantage.
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806:"Wilmington Convention Center reports strongest year yet"
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Spicer-Sidbury, Penelope, City Clerk (June 11, 2006).
625:"Former Mayor Spence Broadhurst Returns To Wilmington"
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Spicer-Sidbury, Penelope, City Clerk (May 10, 2006).
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Special City Council Meeting Minutes of May 10, 2006
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995:University of North Carolina at Wilmington alumni
886:. Wilmington, N.C.: Friends of Public Radio, Inc
844:Schatz, Amy; Johnson, Fawn (September 9, 2008).
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726:"Bill Saffo: Putting priority on partnership"
689:City Council Meeting Minutes of June 11, 2006
8:
709:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
672:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
554:Lewis Hilburn, Rachel (September 15, 2017).
985:Politicians from Wilmington, North Carolina
426:"Mayor Bill Saffo | City of Wilmington, NC"
520:
518:
158:University of North Carolina at Wilmington
31:
20:
876:Giovannelli, Marina (September 8, 2008).
101:December 2, 2003 – July 11, 2006
358:As mayor, he helped usher in the age of
724:Mazzolini, Chris (September 19, 2007).
378:
283:
238:University of North Carolina Wilmington
702:
665:
623:Callison, Jenny (September 14, 2017).
490:Mazzolini, Chris (February 15, 2008).
878:"The Digital Television Switch is On"
764:Gannon, Patrick (February 11, 2009).
7:
583:Fennel, Bettie (December 10, 2003).
629:Greater Wilmington Business Journal
980:Mayors of places in North Carolina
937:Buckland, Tim (November 7, 2017).
905:James, Andrew (November 8, 2017).
14:
1000:21st-century American politicians
691:(Report). City of Wilmington, N.C
654:(Report). City of Wilmington, N.C
990:American people of Greek descent
391:Glatt, Jennifer (June 9, 2013).
228:in 1978, he went on to obtain a
804:Wagner, Adam (April 18, 2016).
564:. Friends of Public Radio, Inc
1:
846:"Digital-TV Switch Is Tested"
526:"Bill Saffo - Wilmington, NC"
492:"Wilmington's 'first lady'"
370:consecutive term as mayor.
226:John T. Hoggard High School
216:Personal life and education
132:1960 (age 63–64)
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399:. DueSouth Publishing, LLC
364:analog television platform
135:Wilmington, North Carolina
111:Joseph C. “J.C.” Hearne II
939:"Saffo headed to victory"
187:Vassilios Avgerinos Saffo
176:
129:Vassilios Avgerinos Saffo
115:
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1005:North Carolina Democrats
205:, he was elected to the
856:Dow Jones & Company
851:The Wall Street Journal
207:Wilmington City Council
172:Real estate businessman
89:Wilmington City Council
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37:Mayor Saffo, July 2008
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249:Greek Orthodox Church
947:. Wilmington, N.C.:
915:. Wilmington, N.C.:
774:. Wilmington, N.C.:
734:. Wilmington, N.C.:
593:. Wilmington, N.C.:
500:. Wilmington, N.C.:
466:on February 10, 2012
82:Spence H. Broadhurst
530:Sea Coast Advantage
397:Wilmington Magazine
201:. A member of the
48:Mayor of Wilmington
816:Tribune Publishing
393:"The Greater Good"
360:digital television
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917:Morris Multimedia
811:TCA Regional News
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462:. Archived from
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203:Democratic Party
120:Personal details
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72:July 11, 2006
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952:. Retrieved
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468:. Retrieved
464:the original
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344: 80–90%
338: 60–70%
332: 50–60%
326: 40-50%
319:
309: 70–80%
303: 60–70%
297: 50–60%
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107:Succeeded by
96:
66:
55:
18:
1010:1960 births
814:. Chicago:
705:cite report
668:cite report
78:Preceded by
969:Categories
824:1781476654
374:References
262:Greensboro
195:Wilmington
183:Bill Saffo
169:Profession
153:Alma mater
146:Democratic
25:Bill Saffo
784:285685896
744:285508988
603:285575807
236:from the
97:In office
57:Incumbent
944:StarNews
820:ProQuest
780:ProQuest
771:StarNews
740:ProQuest
731:StarNews
599:ProQuest
590:StarNews
497:StarNews
954:May 10,
949:Gannett
922:May 10,
890:May 10,
861:May 10,
829:May 10,
789:May 10,
776:Gannett
749:May 10,
736:Gannett
695:May 10,
658:May 10,
635:May 10,
608:May 10,
595:Gannett
568:May 10,
539:May 10,
507:May 10,
502:Gannett
470:May 10,
435:May 10,
403:May 10,
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280:Legend
185:(born
137:, U.S.
320:Scott
291:Saffo
222:Greek
191:mayor
70:
956:2023
924:2023
912:WWAY
892:2023
883:WHQR
863:2023
831:2023
791:2023
751:2023
711:link
697:2023
674:link
660:2023
637:2023
610:2023
570:2023
561:WHQR
541:2023
509:2023
472:2023
437:2023
405:2023
125:Born
232:in
193:of
971::
941:.
909:.
880:.
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808:.
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768:.
738:.
728:.
707:}}
703:{{
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597:.
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558:.
532:.
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517:^
494:.
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395:.
381:^
366:.
251:.
197:,
162:BA
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