Goodrich – With a new council elected last week, the issue of dissolving village government may lose some of its sizzle.
Elected to 1-year terms on the Village of Goodrich council were Rick Horton, with 333 votes; Rodney Pierson, with 309 votes; and Edmund York II, with 304 votes. Elected to 3-year terms on the council were David Lucik, with 272 votes; and Ralph (Pete) Morey, with 318 votes. None of the council-elects favor village dissolution.
Of 1,103 Village of Goodrich registered voters, 624 came out to cast ballots May 3, a 57-percent turnout compared to a 4-percent turnout in the 2004 village council election. The precinct ran out of ballots, said Genesee County Elections Director Rob Coffman, who transferred the results from photocopied ballots to scannable ballots.
‘It was all very legal,? said Coffman, who said both candidates and election workers witnessed the transfer.
Some candidates were elected by as little as a 20-vote margin.
‘It was a pretty close election,? said Horton, ‘it kind of indicated a lot of people who live in town were concerned.
‘The whole thing was about taxes. (Pro-dissolutionists) thought the best way to get rid of taxes was to dissolve the village. Our thought was to keep the village, reduce taxes, reduce spending’that goes along with reducing taxes’and get more people involved.?
Norm Bass, who suffered a narrow defeat, agrees attempting to dissolve village government was a means to an end.
‘Dissolution was just an option,’said Bass. ‘I think that’s a dropped situation, I know the (elected) council is against it.?
‘I think so much of it will depend on what the new council does,? said Phil Jackson, who formed the Vacate the Village committee last fall, along with Patricia Wartella, a pro-dissolutionist who also suffered defeat in last week’s race.
‘If they cut taxes the way they said, that would go a long way, but it’s not my decision, it’s the people’s decision,? Jackson said.
Bass, who’s slightly relieved to not have to face the responsibility of making council decisions or dealing with riffs in the community, says he harbors no ill feelings toward the newly-elected council.
‘I’m happy for the new group, and willing to work with them. They’ve got a big job ahead.?
Election results are expected to be certified by the Genesee County Board of Canvassers by May 5, said Coffman.
The May 3 election is the second of three elections involving dissolution issues. Village residents voted in February to oust the entire village council after members decided to amend the village charter to outline a dissolution process, rather than immediately putting the issue on the ballot. Compared with February’s 52-percent voter turnout, last week’s election results are unusual, says Coffman, since recall election turnout is typically significantly higher than an election to replace council or board members.
The third dissolution-related vote is expected to take place Aug. 2 when village residents will decide whether to adopt the proposed charter amendment, which last month was sent to the governor’s office for approval by the interim council (see ‘Interim council approves amendment?, The Citizen, April 18 at http://www.thecitizenonline.com).
Newly-elected council members will be sworn in and choose officers at the next village council meeting, slated for 7 p.m. May 9 in the second-floor community room of the Goodrich-Atlas Lyceum, located at 10237 Hegel Road in downtown Goodrich.