It’s official: Stiehm retains mayor post

Published 11:36 am Thursday, November 13, 2008

Austin Mayor Tom Stiehm’s Nov. 4 re-election to a second term was upheld Wednesday after a recount.

Stiehm’s Nov. 4 39-vote margin of victory was challenged by Mark Nagle, an Austin businessman, who sought to unseat the first-term mayor.

Lucy Johnson, city clerk and recorder, conducted the recount Wednesday with a crew of four election judges in a Mower County government center conference room.

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The recount ended at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

A total of 11,038 votes from city precincts, including absentee ballots, were recounted. The results showed: 5,235 for Stiehm (a gain of two votes) and 5,194 for Nagle.

The unofficial results after the Nov. 4 election gave Stiehm 5,233 and Nagle 5,194.

Attempts to reach Stiehm and Nagle for comment were unsuccessful.

Since Johnson has supervised elections for the city, no recount has resulted in a change of election day results.

Johnson estimated the cost of the recount at $1,000. The expense will be borne by the city.

The official vote totals in the Nov. 4 election were canvassed last Thursday (city) and Monday (Mower County).

According to Linda Ehmke, chief deputy auditor-treasurer, there were no changes in the Nov. 4 vote totals.

Among other local race results certified by the canvass, the totals were:

Mower County District No. I County Commissioner: Tim Gabrielson, 2,383; Dan Vermilyea, 1,278.

The incumbent, Richard P. Cummings, did not seek re-election.

Gabrielson will be sworn-in at the end of the year.

District No. II County Commissioner:

Raymond Tucker, incumbent, 2,067. Sarah Douty, 1.877.

Austin City Council

Firsts Ward: Brian McAlister, incumbent (unopposed), 3,033.

Second Ward: Steven King, 2,208; Scott Pacholl (incumbent), 1,471.

Third Ward: Marian Clennon, 1,713. Tony Bennett, 1,034.

The incumbent Third Ward Council Member Norman Hecimovich did not seek re-election.

At Large: Janet Anderson, 5,438. Jeff Austin, 4,679.

Incumbent At Large Council Member Peter Christopherson did not seek re-election.

Austin still has two years remaining on his Second Ward Council Member’s term in office.

The Mayor and Council Members will be sworn-in early in January 2009.

The Mayor and At Large Council Member terms are two-years in length. The other Council Members and Mower County Commissioner terms are four-years in length.

Also certified Monday were results in the Austin Utilities Board of Commissioners’ races.

Three incumbents, Tom Baudler, James R. Schroeder and Paul R. Johnson, were re-elected to four-year terms without opposition.

Baudler received 7,268 votes; Schroeder, 5,274 votes; and Johnson, 5,486 votes.

They, too, will be sworn-in early in January 2009.