By News Sentinel Editorial Board

Madeline Rogero won an overwhelming victory Tuesday and will become Knoxville's first female mayor when she takes the oath of office in January.

By defeating businessman Mark Padgett by 18 percentage points, the former Knox County commissioner and director of the city's community development department can claim a mandate from the voters.

The key word in that sentence is "voters." Fewer than one in four registered voters cast ballots in the city election, a dismal turnout that should be a civic embarrassment.

Rogero acknowledged the small number of people who actually cast ballots during her acceptance speech Tuesday, saying she would be the mayor not only of those who voted for her but also of those who voted for her opponent and those who didn't vote at all.

Still, Rogero's triumph can legitimately be termed a mandate. It is an endorsement from the electorate to do what she has promised to do. That means to approach the job with a vision of what the city can become. It means to work in collaboration with all segments of the city — neighborhoods and businesses, rich and poor, black and white, liberal and conservative. It means to lead with intelligence honed by a master's degree in urban planning. It means to draw from an impressive array of experiences to come with the best answers to vexing questions.

Now is the time for her to switch from campaigning to governing, from soliciting votes to leading the city into the future.

Rogero will need to surround herself with a quality staff. She has tapped Larry Martin, who has been deputy to mayors Bill Haslam and Daniel Brown, to lead her transition. Martin plans to retire from city government, but by agreeing to work on the transition he is showing a willingness to ensure a smooth passing of the baton.

We hope Rogero will focus on recruiting the best people possible in the city, regardless of politics. That shouldn't be a problem — after all, she wouldn't have been the city's community development director if Haslam hadn't put politics aside to hire her.

We have confidence that Rogero will treat her mandate as a precious yet useful gift, a fragile one that should be used judiciously.

Rogero was not the only victor in Tuesday's election. Four new members will be assuming seats on the City Council — Finbarr Saunders, George Wallace, Marshall Stair and Mark Campen. Each brings a unique set of attributes to the panel — Saunders is a retired banker, Wallace a real estate executive, Stair a lawyer and Campen a nonprofit director.

Like Rogero, all four won in convincing fashion. And they likewise will labor under heightened expectations for good government and dynamic leadership.

Read the rest of the story at Knoxnews.com.