By Kayleen Petrovia and Mac Cordell
Voters in the southern portion of the county were in the mood for change.
Only one incumbent on Plain City Council retained his seat, while both sitting members of the Jonathan Alder School Board lost theirs.
Voters also decided to replace two members of the three-person Jerome Township Board of Trustees.
Plain City Council
Competition for village council seats was divided into two races, due to charter changes.
To create a staggered schedule for council terms, one person was elected this year to serve a two-year term and three candidates were elected to serve a normal, four-year term.
James Sintz won the two-year term over incumbent Sherry Heineman. He also beat out fellow newcomer Rochelle Pellegrene.
“There were so many great people running for council seats this election, so I am both humbled and honored to have been elected by the residents of Plain City,” Sintz said.
He said his campaign allowed him to meet “a lot of fantastic residents and business owners” who he is looking forward to serving.
Sintz said he is thankful for his family, friends, neighbors and those who voted for him, along with the other council candidates.
He added that he will work with Mayor Jody Carney and his fellow council members “on the business of making and keeping Plain City a great place to live, work and play.”
Though Heineman edged Sintz among Union County voters, her margin of victory was not large enough to compensate for Sintz’s win within Madison County.
According to unofficial results from the Madison County Board of Elections, Sintz received 44.9% of votes while Heineman and Pellegrene followed with 32.33% and 22.77%, respectively.
Sintz claimed 343 votes in Madison County compared to 247 for Heineman and 174 for Pellegrene.
In Union County, though, Heineman received 63 votes, or 42% total, compared to 55 votes for Sintz and 32 for Pellegrene.
Heineman and Pellegrene were not available for comment at press time.
In the race for four-year terms, Michael Terry retained his appointed seat, though Lauren DeCamp Giaimo did not. Jim Eudaily and Kerri Ferguson were also elected over Tyler Harriman.
The five candidates placed the same among voters in both Madison and Union Counties, according to each county’s board of elections.
Terry received the most votes, with 514, or 25.15%, in Madison County and 98, or 25.32%, in Union County.
Terry was not available for comment at press time.
Eudaily was next with 427 votes in Madison County and 85 in Union County.
Eudaily said he has wanted to serve on council “for a long time” and is looking forward to being involved as the village changes.
“I’m excited to be able to shape Plain City,” Eudaily said.
He added that he is particularly excited about the council members he will serve alongside, as he feels the group has a variety of backgrounds that will serve the village well.
During his tenure, he said one topic he is looking forward to tackling is the 2020 U.S. Census results, which showed a decrease in Plain City’s population and prevented the village from becoming a city.
“There’s no way our population went down,” he said.No matter the issue at hand, Eudaily said he is ready to serve those who voted for him and those who didn’t.
“I’ll be working for everyone in Plain City,” he said.
Ferguson nabbed the last seat with 386 votes in Madison County and 80 in Union County.
Harriman received 370 votes in Madison County compared to Giaimo’s 347, as well as 71 Union County votes versus 53 for Giaimo.
Giaimo said she is thankful for those who voted for her and wished the newly elected candidates luck in their tenure on council.
Ferguson and Harriman were not available for comment at press time.
Jonathan Alder
Voters in the Jonathan Alder Local Schools district ousted current school board members, selecting a pair of challengers to fill the seats.
Erica Detweiler and Sonia T. Walker were elected to the school board, topping incumbents Shannon R. Foust and Mary Jo Boyd.
According to unofficial results from the Union County and Madison County boards of elections, Sonia T. Walker earned 1,870 votes and Erica Detweiler earned 1,764 votes. Foust and Boyd received 1,180 and 853 votes, respectively.
“This community has really stood behind us in a way that is mind blowing and I feel honored to have the chance to do this,” Detweiler said this morning.
She said she is “just really excited and very humbled and very grateful to have this opportunity and this much support from our community and to know that this is what people want.”
She said her overarching goal will be “to do the best for our students.” She said she wants to “be able to work with staff and administrators and incorporate parent feedback.”
“We have a great opportunity to work in a great school system,” Detweiler said. “Things are changing so much, we need to have things in place to keep Alder great and make it even better.”
In a social media post, Walker said she appreciates the support she received from voters.
“I am looking forward to working hard for the JA School District,” Walker wrote.
She also congratulated Detweiler.
“Judging by how hard she worked on the campaign, she will be a great addition to our school board,” Walker wrote.
Boyd thanked the community for allowing her to serve on the board for the last 12 years.
“I have served with humility and integrity and to the best of my ability,” Boyd wrote. “I love this district and I will always want the best for all of the students. I want to thank my fellow board members for allowing me to serve with them and wish them luck in the future.”
She congratulated the two new board members.
“I hope that they realize that being a member of the Board is not about one issue, but many and that the board does not manage every aspect of a district but the position is about oversight,” Boyd said.
Foust was not available at press time.
Jerome Township
Incumbent Joe Craft was upset by newcomers Barry Adler and Wezlynn Davis in Tuesday night’s election.
Voters cast their ballots for two trustees, both Craft’s seat and that of C.J. Lovejoy, who did not seek reelection.
According to unofficial results from the Union County Board of Elections, Adler took the top spot with 42.31%, or 1,676 votes. Davis was next with 31.84%, or 1,261 votes, followed by Craft with 25.85%, or 1,024 votes.
Adler said he is thankful for all those that “worked so hard to support me.”
“I look forward to the opportunity to represent and work for all the residents and businesses in our township,” he said.
Adler said he feels cooperation will be important as the township continues to grow.
“We need to work together to do what is best for our community as we meet the challenges of growth in the coming years,” he said.
Davis said she feels that Jerome Township is a “slice of heaven” and she is looking forward to serving the entire community.
“It is the honor of a lifetime… to be entrusted with the role of trustee,” she said.
Craft was not available for comment at press time.
Voters also handily struck down two zoning amendments approved by the current board of trustees.
Unofficial results show that 73.47% of voters, or 1,819 residents, cast their ballots against a rezoning that would pave the way for The Homestead at Scotts Farm residential development.
The Board of Trustees voted unanimously May 5 to rezone a 139.4 acre area on the south side of Brock Road between Hyland-Croy Road and the overpass with U.S. 33 from Rural Residential District (RU) to Planned Development District (PD).
Developers intended to build 248 single-family homes, which they have said will sell for approximately $500,000.
The rezoning for a residential development within Jerome Village, called Village Neighborhood 10 (VN-10), was also overwhelmingly defeated.
According to unofficial results, 73.65% of voters, or 1,828 people, were against the rezoning.
On July 6, the trustees voted 3-0 to rezone the 69.59 acre area on the southeast corner of Jerome Road and Blaney Road from Rural Residential District (RU) to Planned Development District (PD).
The rezoning would have allowed for the development of 149 single-family homes valued between $400,000 and $500,000.
The land at issue in both referendum votes will remain zoned as Rural Residential Districts.
Stakeholders for both developments are plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit filed in federal court in July. Among other property owners and developers, they claim that the township violated their property rights and discriminated against them during the zoning process.
The township has filed a motion to dismiss the suit.
Plaintiffs later offered a settlement for $13.4 million along with zoning changes, though the township has not taken action surrounding the offer.