Villages face open council positions

Morgan Dixon
Staff Writer

Residents in four Athens County villages will have less to vote on this November because there are more positions open than candidates running for office.

The Villages of Amesville, Buchtel, Jacksonville and Trimble are lacking enough candidates to run for city council seats.

If a new candidate doesn't run for office, the incumbents can choose whether or not to keep the position for another four years. If they choose not to stay in office, the position is posted for thirty days, after which the mayor can appoint a new council member, said George Pallo, mayor of Jacksonville.

According to the Athens County Board of Elections, there are four open council seats in Amesville but only one listed candidate, incumbent John O'Donnell.

Buchtel Mayor John Sullivan said Buchtel also has four council seats expiring this year. Only two candidates, Tara Bunting-Blair and Frank Sullivan, who are both incumbents, have filed for candidacy.

Incumbent Buchtel Councilman Ed Matheny, has chosen not to run for re-election. Instead, he wants to be re-appointed as a write-in candidate, Sullivan said.

The fourth council seat is open, Sullivan said.

There are four council seats open in Jacksonville but only three candidates, Butch Chapman, Robert Sayre and Theron Young, running for election. All three candidates are incumbents, Pallo said.

In Trimble, four council seats are open. Incumbent Delbert Skinner is the only candidate running for office.