WATERLOO — Mary Jenelee Higgins said she has sat in the Waterloo mayor’s chair before, “so I know it can be done.”

Higgins completed an unexpired mayoral term in 1999 and 2000, and she is back in office after defeating former Mayor Jerry McIntyre in Tuesday’ runoff election.

Her winning margin was nine votes.

“I’m really surprised and relieved it’s over,” Higgins said. “I will try to do them justice.”

Higgins was the veteran on the Town Council in 1999 when Tommy Staples resigned as mayor.

“They just threw the keys to Town Hall at me and (the mayor’s job) was mine,” she said. “I straightened some things out then and I will try to do it again now. There is a need to straighten out the finances of the town; that’s why I ran.”

Higgins, who served as a postmaster for more than 20 years, said the town is wasting money. She said that will be addressed when she takes office in November.

“I know how to manage money, and we’ve got to make sure we’re spending money wisely,” she said. “It will take some time to see exactly where we are, but it’s got to be done. We’re going to make sure everything is going where it’s supposed to go and that business will be conducted in the open, not in secret.

“We will restore the trust people have in our town government.”

Higgins said high on her list of priorities is restoring the senior center.