It appears when the new council is seated in January, members will appoint someone to fulfill Muterspaw’s unexpired term, though City Manager Paul Lolli indicated Tuesday night he’d rather the more experienced current council complete that task.
There are five members on council and only Zack Ferrell will have experience after serving two years.
Political newcomer Elizabeth Slamka received the most votes for mayor, narrowly defeating Joe Mulligan, who served eight years on council, according to unofficial results from the Butler and Warren county boards of elections.
Two other candidates, Steve West II and Jennifer Burg-Carter, also first-time public office holders, captured the two open council seats.
There were three vacancies on council after Mayor Nicole Condrey, Vice Mayor Monica Thomas and veteran council member Tal Moon decided not to seek re-election.
Slamka finished with 5,377 votes in Butler and Warren counties, while Mulligan garnered 5,239 votes, according to unofficial results.
Of the six council candidates on the ballot, West II received the most votes with 3,791, followed by Burg-Carter (3,733), Clayton Castle (2,851), John Ferrando (2,845), Jeffrey Wellbaum (2,384) and write-in Kristi Asbury (209).
Slamka credited her campaign team that worked since early April to get her elected. Her yard signs and billboards were visible throughout the city, and Slamka spent countless hours campaigning door-to-door, she said.
Her goal the next four years, she said, is to listen to the needs of the residents and react to them.
“A peoples’ mayor” she called herself.
Mulligan, in an email to the Journal-News, congratulated Slamka on her victory and wished her the best. He also thanked the departing council members for their “years of service and effort on behalf of Middletown.”
West II said now that his campaign and the election are over, it’s time “for the real business of making Middletown better.”
He thanked his supporters and those who voted for him.
“Now the pressure is on,” he said. “All eyes will be on the new council.”
Earlier, when asked why she was running after being defeated two years ago, Burg-Carter said she wanted to represent her neighborhood and “speak for those people. I want to create change. We are better together.”
Burg-Carter said she decided to seek a council seat while serving as an ambassador with Middletown Connect, a group of concerned citizens. After riding a bus with others throughout certain tracts in the city, she learned “there are a lot of things that we need to work on together.”
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