Adrian voters toss incumbents; Monroe mayor re-elected

11/6/2013

ADRIAN — Adrian city voters cleaned house on Tuesday, selecting a new mayor and three new city commissioners.

Voters chose former State Sen. Jim Berryman for mayor over incumbent Greg DuMars. Incumbent City Commissioners Milo Warren and Chuck Jacobson also were defeated in their re-election bids.

Mr. Berryman, 66, who had been the mayor before serving from 1990 to 1998 in the Michigan Legislature, said whether it came to deciding what to do with oil and gas royalties or other issues, the public didn’t feel like it had any input in local decisions.

“The current administration and current commission just wanted to run the city and didn’t care what the public felt,” he said Tuesday night. “That was the underlying theme I heard all fall from voters.”

RELATED CONTENT: Full election results

In October, Mr. Berryman filed a lawsuit in Lenawee County Circuit Court seeking an injunction to stop the city from depositing oil royalties from city-owned property into a recently formed 15-year trust. He was seeking a public hearing on the issue and had expressed concerns about restrictions the trust places on withdrawing funds.

Mr. DuMars, 66, who has been mayor since 2011, contended the trust fund was an opportunity to leave a legacy for the future rather than spending the oil revenues on current operations.

Elected to the city commission were newcomers John Dudas, Andrew Munson, and Jeff Rising. They defeated Mr. Warren, Mr. Jacobson, and Jeffrey Clark Pardee.

In Monroe, voters returned Mayor Robert Clark, who was opposed by longtime Clerk-Treasurer Charles Evans.

Mr. Clark, 59, was re-elected to his third two-year term. Mr. Evans, 70, has been the elected clerk-treasurer of the city for 16 years.

In a four-way race for clerk-treasurer, Michelle LaVoy was elected over Brian Lamour, Harold Caldwell, and Jim Kansier, who is a city councilman.

In council elections, three of five incumbents lost their at-large seats.

John Iacoangeli, a former mayor, defeated Councilman Jerry McKart in the 2nd Precinct and former Monroe County Commissioner William Sisk ousted Brian Beneteau in the 6th Precinct.

Willie Hall, the incumbent in the 4th Precinct, lost to Kellie Vining.

Councilman Jeffery Hensley retained his seat from Precinct 1 as he defeated Bronco McKart, and incumbent 4th Precinct Councilman Jeremy Molenda withstood a challenge from Matt Vititoe.

In Luna Pier, incumbents David Hutchinson and Derrick Welton and newcomer Richard Murray, Jr., were elected to council.

Contact Jennifer Feehan at: jfeehan@theblade.com or 419-213-2134.