Marquette mayor and council member survive special election

MARQUETTE - Unofficial results to Marquette's special election show both recently appointed members of the council narrowly staved off two write-in candidates and have retained their seats this week.

Mayor Larry Breuer and Council member Steve Eagle, who were appointed earlier this year, held onto their seats during Tuesday's special election with both receiving 51 percent of votes, according to the Clayton County Auditor website.

John Winter, a write-in candidate for mayor, received 47 votes and Ryan Young, a write-in candidate for city council, brought in 50 votes. Breuer and Eagle each received 57 votes.

A total of 111 residents - close to 20 percent of the city's population - cast votes in the special election.

Jennifer Garms, deputy auditor with Clayton County, said votes will be canvassed Monday and a typical special election of that size costs between $400 to $600.

Breuer and Eagle were appointed in April by the Marquette City Council to their respective seats. The appointments were made to fill vacancies created earlier this year when Rinda Ferguson, former council member, and former Mayor Dave Schneider resigned following disagreement on the five-member council over a zoning violation.

The council in January voted not to enforce a zoning violation in which an occupied mobile home was located in a new subdivision where zoning doesn't allow mobile home use.

Some council members say the move went against the city attorney's recommendation and the city should have enforced city code, while others argue the mobile home was going to be leaving the area soon and the appropriate decision was to not appeal the court ruling.

Almost immediately after the February appointments, a petition began circulating among residents calling for a special election.

Breuer and Eagle will hold their seats until those terms expire at the close of 2017.