Seferian easily wins re-election in Oregon

Wagener joins Maumee council; incumbents keep seats in Ottawa Hills

Rob Marquette shows his son Dominic, 10, how to vote at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Oregon.

Residents in Toledo suburban area communities elected new officials, with many incumbents retaining their seats, in dozens of contested races for mayor and council members.

In the city of Oregon, Mayor Michael Seferian was being challenged by Thomas Susor, council president, but the mayor was re-elected with nearly 55 percent of the vote.

Mr. Seferian did not return a phone call seeking comment.

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RELATED CONTENT: Full election results

For Oregon council, eight candidates were running for seven seats. Elected were Joshua Hughes, Kathleen Pollauf, and Tim Zale, plus four incumbents: Dennis Walendzak, Gerald Peach, James Seaman, and Terrance Reeves. Marvin Dabish had the lowest vote total with about 8.78 percent of the vote, losing out in the eight-way race for the seven seats.

Oregon is in the first phase of transitioning from two-year to four-year terms for council members, with the top three vote-getters being the first to earn the longer term. The top three vote-getters were Mr. Walendzak, Mr. Seaman, and Mr. Reeves.

For the first time in many years, the name Dave Gallaher wasn’t on the ballot in Northwood. The tool-and-die maker said that at age 56 he wants more time for his family and personal life after serving 20 years on council and as a volunteer firefighter from 1977 to 1993.

With Mr. Gallaher’s retirement there were two incumbents — Connie Hughes and Randy Kozina — among five contenders for four council seats. Among the candidates were Keith Dempsey, Louis Fahrbach, and Richard Radocy. Mr. Radocy is a previous council member; he was the lone candidate who was unsuccessful in his run for a seat.

Voters in the city of Maumee switched things up on council in the outcome of a race of eight candidates for four council seats.

Top vote-getter out of the eight candidates was Julie Rubini, 52, who was named to council last November to replace Richard Carr who took over as mayor following the departure from office of longtime Mayor Tim Wagener.

The second top vote-getter was incumbent Brent Buehrer, followed by newcomer Tom Wagener, Jr., and incumbent Timothy L. Pauken.

Incumbent Mike Coyle failed to win re-election; the others who finished in the bottom four were newcomers John M. Schafer, Hal R. Simon, and Maria Zapiecki.

A factor in campaigns for some candidates related to term limits for council members, fiscal responsibility, open government, and attention to ballot outcomes referring to the ongoing discontent of some residents who contend council unfairly ousted Mayor Wagener even though voters had elected him to another term.

Last year, Mr. Wagener resigned from his post, citing health concerns. Mr. Carr, who had been council president, took over as mayor in accordance with the city’s charter.

Earlier in 2012, Mr. Wagener received a “public reprimand” from the Ohio Ethics Commission after admitting he intermingled his personal finances with his public office. Even with public awareness of the investigation, Mayor Wagener easily won re-election in November, 2011.

In a close race for four council seats in the village of Ottawa Hills, incumbents Jeffrey Gibbs, John Straub, Rex Decker, and Robert Reichert won in unofficial tallies with Edward Shimborske III coming in one vote behind Mr. Reichert.

In the village of Holland, running for four seats for council were three incumbents H. Dale Prentice, Sr., Lee Irons, and Roger Burditt.

Mr. Irons was the top vote-getter, followed by Mr. Prentice and Mr. Burditt who all were elected.

Waterville will begin the new year with three new council members: Charles Larkins, John Rozic, and Micheline Krise.

Incumbents whose terms expire in 2013 who did not seek election were Mike Metzger, Jeff Marty, and Ann Cherry.

In the village of Whitehouse, elected to council were Frank D. Billings, Jr., and incumbents Bill May and Louann Artiaga.

In Rossford, Bob Densic, a council candidate who opposed proposed pay raises for elected officials that was a ballot issue Tuesday lost his bid for re-election. Rossford council had an open seat following the resignation of Mike Scott.

In the ballots cast Tuesday, incumbent Councilman Chuck Duricek was the top vote getter, followed by incumbent Caroline Zuchowski-Eckel, Daniel Wagner, and incumbent Jerry Staczek.

Those four won council seats, besting Mr. Densic and Dennis Foy.

Contact Janet Romaker at: jromaker@theblade.com or 419-724-6006.