With four Ironton City Council seats up for grabs this November, only three petitions were filed by Wednesday’s deadline and the lack of interest has some of the filers puzzled.

Former mayor and councilman Bob Cleary, current councilmember Beth Rist, and R. Craig Harvey will sit on council come December. The fourth person will have to be determined by a majority vote of council after the new term begins.

“Usually incumbents run,” Cleary said. “In this case, you had a couple of incumbents who did not want to run. It’s really a strange situation, I think. It’s the first time in my whole time in city council that I have even seen this happen.”

Cleary said he could remember past elections where there would be a dozen candidates running for council.

“It really concerns me the lack of interest the community has in wanting to serve,” he said. “You don’t make much money. I think only $120 a month. … If you are doing it to make money, I think you’re doing it for the wrong reason.”

Cleary said he was looking forward to returning to council.

“I’m excited and thrilled to be able to get back on council,”

Cleay retired from council in December citing changes in Ohio Public Employee Retirement System for the upcoming year.

Ralph “Butch” Huff was nominated to fill the vacancy. Huff’s term ends this year and he did not pick up a petition to run for re-election this fall.

Rist, the only incumbent to file a petition, said while she was excited about another term on city council, she said it was a shame that more people didn’t file.

“It’s a shame more people don’t show interest in trying to help with council,” Rist said. “It’s a shame there is not more interest in it. I think a lot of people have given up on politics and politicians.”

In addition to Rist’s and Huff’s seats, the other seats up for grabs were council president Mike Lutz and councilman Dave Frazer.

A message left for Harvey was not returned by press time.

 

Townships

Aid (2 seats, fiscal officer)

Trustees: Brian Pancake, George Gabriel Patterson

Fiscal officer: Wayne Taylor. Tonnia Meadows

 

Decatur (2)

• Tim Blagg, Ronnie Cox

 

 

Elizabeth (2)

• Ron Davis, Brian Kidd, Phillip Bailey

 

Fayette (2)

• Mike Finley, Perry Brock, Travis Wise

 

Hamilton (2, fiscal officer)

• Bob Blankenship, David Blankenship, Larry Fraley, Forrest Kerns

Fiscal officer: Terri Robinson

 

Lawrence (2)

• Scott Mootz, Scott Gore, Brent Dickess, Donald Mannon, Joe Ferguson

 

Mason (2)

• Stephen Colegrove, Derek L. Wilson, Jeff Estep, Lewis Pauley

 

Perry (2)

• Jeffrey Joseph, Barry Blankenship, Jeffery Pemberton, Ryan Bentley

 

Rome (2)

• Brian Pinkerman, Mark Bailey, Dean Cooper

 

Symmes (2)

• Ronald Hatfield, Rick Carpenter, Chris Brown

 

Union (2)

• Mike Curry, Rick Gue

 

Upper (2)

• Robert Ackerman, Mike McDaniels, Don Klaiber

 

Washington (2, fiscal officer)

• Terry Kelly, Mike Freeman, Barbarina Davidson

Fiscal officer:

• Katrenda Lewis

 

Windsor (2)

• Donald Adkins, Mark Johnson, Robert Burcham, David Wilson

 

Villages, city

(four seats)

Athalia

• Ervin Napier, Debra Evans

 

Chesapeake

• Elonzo Sawyers, Paul E. Hart, Paul N. Hart, Richard McMaster, Richard L. Stover, Tommy Templeton

 

Coal Grove

• Frederick P. Roush, Randy Wise, Eric Holmes, William Bryant, Shawn McDaniel, Nick McKnight, Kimberly McKnight

Hanging Rock

• Tim Dickens, David Hopper

 

Ironton

• Bob Cleary, Beth Rist, R. Craig Harvey

 

Proctorville

• Brenda Chapman, Justin Wurtlzer, Brian Root, Raymond Shepherd, Larry “Davy” Peters, Fred Cooper

 

South Point

• Jim Payne, Mary Cogan, David Classing, Christopher Smith, Danny Smith, Buel Collins, Eric Rawlins, David Moore, Michael Lynd, Dale Jackson, Sam Suiter Jr.

 

School Boards

Lawrence County (3)

• Ray Malone, Ronald Hayes, Phillip Carpenter

 

Chesapeake (3)

• Arthur Suiter, Carl Lilly, Jeanne Harmon

 

Dawson-Bryant (3)

• William Irby, Jamie Murphy, Debbie Drummond, Donny Turner, Brady Harrison

 

Fairland (3)

• Barbara Dimwiddie, Gary L. Sowards, R. Matt Ward, Charles Workman, Martin Appleton

 

Ironton (2)

• Jay Zornes, Burton Payne

 

Rock Hill (2)

• Paul David Knipp, Wanda Jenkins

 

South Point (2)

• Stacy A. Thacker, Rita Vance, Jack Nuckols, Jan Keatley

 

Symmes Valley (3)

• Chris Thompson, Tommy Shepherd, Hope Rowe, Allen K. Miller, Mile Wall

 

Issues

• Village of South Point 3-mill replacement levy

• Clarks Pump N Shop local option (Sheridan precinct 2)

• Elizabeth Township 1-mill 5-year tax levy for fire protection

• Perry Township 1-mill fire levy renewal

• Sam’s Club, Walmart local option (Burlington 1 precinct)

• Ironton City half-mill recreation levy

• Coal Grove 1-mill 5-year tax levy