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October 03. 2012 8:03PM
Low turnout in Franklin city elections, but the votes still count
FRANKLIN — Tuesday's city elections, which featured ballots filled with mostly incumbent, unchallenged candidates, drew about 8 percent of the population, according to city officials.
About 10 percent of Ward 1 voters came to the polls, while Ward 2 and Ward 3 drew 7 percent, according to City Clerk Holly Burbank.
“The turnout was a little down from last year, but not by much,” Burbank said. “This city has always had a low turnout. It's sad.”
The race for seats on the school board was contested and the ballot reflected some last-minute decisions, she said.
The Ward 1 three-year school board seat had been listed as vacant, as incumbent Karen Grzelak decided not to run for reelection. In that race, Brian Boynton tallied 62 votes to challenger Jerry Audet's 57.
But as the election neared, Grzelak noticed that Ward 1's vacant one-year seat had no candidates, Burbank said. She ran unopposed for the one-year seat and won with 121 votes.
In other Ward 1 elections, Ward Clerk Joan Hinds won reelection with 110 votes to challenger Arthur Brouillard IV's 20. Supervisor of the Checklist Nita E. Tomaszewski won reelection with 77 votes to challenger Jaclyn Griffith-Brouillard's 52 votes. In uncontested races, incumbent City Councilor Bob Sharon won with 130 votes and incumbent Moderator Wendy Griffith won with 132 votes.
The Ward 2 school board race was complicated by incumbent three-year board member Tamara Feener's decision to also run for Ward 2 moderator.
There were questions raised about a possible conflict of interest if Feener were to occupy both posts, but a few days before the voting, the city received a legal opinion declaring no conflict between the two posts, Burbank said, and Feener added her name as a write-in candidate against candidate Donald A. Gagnon.
Feener won her write-in campaign and was reelected to the school board, receiving 44 votes to Gagnon's 35 votes, and won the moderator race unchallenged with 79 votes. In uncontested races, incumbent City Councilor Glen Feener received 76 votes, Ward Clerk Deborah Bowers had 73 votes, and incumbent Supervisor of the Checklist Carol Edmunds received 77 votes.
In Ward 3, the only contested race was for the three-year school board seat vacated by Heath Lohman. Peter Heath won the seat with 73 votes to Melinda Steele-St. Cyr's 28 votes. In uncontested races, City Councilor Scott Clarenbach was reelected with 104 votes, Moderator Cameron Mark Temple was reelected with 103 votes, Ward Clerk Merilynn Banton was reelected with 100 votes, and Supervisor of the Checklist Sandra Flanagan was reelected with 102 votes.
dseufert@newstote.com
About 10 percent of Ward 1 voters came to the polls, while Ward 2 and Ward 3 drew 7 percent, according to City Clerk Holly Burbank.
“The turnout was a little down from last year, but not by much,” Burbank said. “This city has always had a low turnout. It's sad.”
The race for seats on the school board was contested and the ballot reflected some last-minute decisions, she said.
The Ward 1 three-year school board seat had been listed as vacant, as incumbent Karen Grzelak decided not to run for reelection. In that race, Brian Boynton tallied 62 votes to challenger Jerry Audet's 57.
But as the election neared, Grzelak noticed that Ward 1's vacant one-year seat had no candidates, Burbank said. She ran unopposed for the one-year seat and won with 121 votes.
In other Ward 1 elections, Ward Clerk Joan Hinds won reelection with 110 votes to challenger Arthur Brouillard IV's 20. Supervisor of the Checklist Nita E. Tomaszewski won reelection with 77 votes to challenger Jaclyn Griffith-Brouillard's 52 votes. In uncontested races, incumbent City Councilor Bob Sharon won with 130 votes and incumbent Moderator Wendy Griffith won with 132 votes.
The Ward 2 school board race was complicated by incumbent three-year board member Tamara Feener's decision to also run for Ward 2 moderator.
There were questions raised about a possible conflict of interest if Feener were to occupy both posts, but a few days before the voting, the city received a legal opinion declaring no conflict between the two posts, Burbank said, and Feener added her name as a write-in candidate against candidate Donald A. Gagnon.
Feener won her write-in campaign and was reelected to the school board, receiving 44 votes to Gagnon's 35 votes, and won the moderator race unchallenged with 79 votes. In uncontested races, incumbent City Councilor Glen Feener received 76 votes, Ward Clerk Deborah Bowers had 73 votes, and incumbent Supervisor of the Checklist Carol Edmunds received 77 votes.
In Ward 3, the only contested race was for the three-year school board seat vacated by Heath Lohman. Peter Heath won the seat with 73 votes to Melinda Steele-St. Cyr's 28 votes. In uncontested races, City Councilor Scott Clarenbach was reelected with 104 votes, Moderator Cameron Mark Temple was reelected with 103 votes, Ward Clerk Merilynn Banton was reelected with 100 votes, and Supervisor of the Checklist Sandra Flanagan was reelected with 102 votes.
dseufert@newstote.com
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