MOUNT VERNON – Voter turnout was light for Tuesday’s local elections, which saw a few incumbents lose and tax levies approved by residents in Knox County’s many townships and villages.
Mount Vernon will see a few new faces in 2022 with one incumbent not on the ballot and Councilmember Julia Warga failing to win reelection in her bid to keep an at-large seat.
Five-term Councilmember Janis Seavolt; Amber Keener, who was appointed to fill Tanner Salyers term this summer; and newcomer Mel Severns were the top three candidates in unofficial returns for three at-large council seats. If the results stand, Warga, the last Democrat on council, will lose her seat.
The only other contested Mount Vernon race for Fourth Ward saw another Republican winning enough votes to keep his seat as Mike Hillier had almost 100 more votes than a write-in challenge mounted by Mike Miller.
Republican Joshua Kirby also is expected to join council to fill the First Ward seat now held by Democrat Samantha Scoles.
Just enough voters in one Mount Vernon precinct seem OK with Hot Rods at 1616 Coschocton Avenue getting to sell wine and mixed beverages on Sundays, with nine more voters voting for the local option than against.
Out of local ballot initiatives, only Knox County’s electric and gas aggregator ballot issues failed. The measures were designed to enable homeowners in unincorporated parts of the county take advantage of group purchasing of the utilities, but not enough voters cast ballots in favor of the plan.
Across 53 precincts, 9,485 of the county’s 41,745 registered voters cast ballots for the Nov. 2 election, for a 23% turnout.
In the list below, top vote-getters are designated with an asterisk.
MOUNT VERNON
President of Council
- Bruce Hawkins – 1,669
- David M. Stuller – 1,601
- Amber L. Keener – 1,237*
- Janis Seavolt – 1,320*
- Mel Severns – 1,310*
- Julia Warga – 968
- Joshua Kirby – 359
- John Francis – 234
- Tammy Woods – 578
- Michael P. Hillier – 280*
- Write-in Totals – 186
Hot Rod’s Food Mart, 1616 Coshocton Ave.
- For – 109*
- Against – 100
- Mary C. Ruglola-Dye – 2,201
- Jeff Ward – 2,491
Council (4 seats)
- Saundra Sue Dove – 144
- Russell Greg Myers – 133
- Ronda M. Seligman – 127
- For – 136*
- Against – 46
- Roger L. Clark – 583
- Joshua Ethan Jackson – 535
- Kris Weldy – 556
Council (4 seats)
- Jill A. Byers – 81
- Patrick L. Crow Jr. – 55
- Jeffrey J. Furay – 75
- Michael L. Waldeck – 59
- For – 78*
- Against – 13
- Charles R. Bratton – 272
- Dawna Stephens – 263
- Paul R. Stover – 308*
Council (4 seats)
- Mollie de Rojas – 310*
- Rita Fenton – 266
- James W. Hobson – 270*
- Richard J. Lanuzza – 348*
- Ryan Shoemaker – 371*
- For – 997*
- Against – 629
- Nathan Bellman – 895*
- Jim Blanchard – 548
- Jennifer Bostic – 518
- Donald Falk – 593*
- Stan Miller – 542
- Paul Napier – 666*
- Charles P. Streby – 548
- Larry D. Campbell – 782
- Randy Reese – 814
- Matthew A. Schwartz – 794
- Vicki Bechtel – 2,678
- Kenneth Ray Boeshart – 2,547
- Donald R. Rogers – 2,405
- Laurie Gallwitz 2,665
- Richard J. McLarnan 2,632
ISSUES
Knox County Senior Services Tax levy
- For – 6,337*
- Against – 2,999
- For – 2,521
- Against – 3,284*
- For – 2,475
- Against – 3,306*
