Little change where no one seeks office

The status quo largely prevailed Tuesday in municipal elections in four Clayton County hamlets with blank ballots.

Write-in voters returned mayors to office in Elkport, Garber and Osterdock. In Millville, six write-in voters lightly shuffled the deck, with the mayor and a council member switching places.

“I didn't really want it, but someone has to do it,” said Gerald Kinnicker, 69, a 12-year City Council veteran who was elected mayor of Millville with four write-in votes. Kinnicker replaces Jim Hankes, who was elected to serve on the council with incumbents Michael Barry, Dwayne Hagen, Ed Meyer and Jessica Bittner.

For at least 34 years the municipal portions of the ballots in the four Turkey River towns have been blank, according to Clayton County Auditor Dennis Freitag.

“I was telling everybody, ‘Vote for someone else,' but they didn't listen,” said Harold Aulwes, who was written in for a third term as mayor of Garber.

The flood-weary Aulwes, who has led the town through the red tape of a government buyout program, said he's not sure he will take the post.

Aulwes, 75, said he would make up his mind by Sunday night.

“If it comes down to it, I'll probably take it,” he said.

Garber voters also returned four of the town's five council members, the only change being the election of Jason Ingles, with three write-in votes, to replace Chad Kuehl.

Four voters turned out in nearby Elkport to write in Roger Bolsinger for another term as mayor, and they returned Diana Hansel, Jeff Hansel and Dianne Bolsinger to the three-member City Council.

In Osterdock, 15 write-in voters returned Carl Borrett for another term as mayor and re-elected Dennis Fredlake, Robert Petsche and Phoebe Johnson to the council. They also elected Chad Freeman and Brad Miller to replace Ron Meyers and Steve Zruba on the council.