Marion voters OK change to how council members are elected

MARION - An majority of Marion residents voted Tuesday to change the way they elect their city council members.

Under the new rules, residents in each of the city's four wards are to vote only for the council member who represents their ward, as well as for two at-large members of the city council and the mayor, who also serves on the seven-member council.

Until now, residents in each ward were allowed to vote for candidates outside of the ward in which they live.

The ballot measure to make the change passed 13,405-3,549, according to unofficial results from the Linn County Auditor's Office. Official election results are to be finalized when votes are canvassed in about one week.

Christina Wright, 45, of Marion, said she voted to change the way the council is elected because she owns an older home in the city.

'I find Marion's changed a lot,” she said. 'I would like to have a person that represents homeowners that live in older homes and the problems we look at.”

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