It's time to vote

It’s time to vote.

Residents of Jay County’s municipalities will take to the polls from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to select two mayors, two clerk-treasurers and a variety of council members.

This year’s municipal elections feature the two mayoral races — two-term incumbent Democrat Randy Geesaman against Republican John Boggs in Portland, and incumbent Republican Gene Ritter against Democrat Jack Robbins in Dunkirk.

Geesaman, 65, a Floral Avenue resident, is seeking a third term after defeating two-term incumbent Bruce Hosier in 2011 and then topping Milo Miller in the 2015 general election. A graduate of Pennville High School and Indiana University, he worked in sales for more than 30 years before becoming Portland’s clerk-treasurer in 2009.

He said he is seeking re-election to finish what he started, adding that his record as mayor should earn him that opportunity.

“I think the No. 1 reason is that the things we’ve accomplished in the last eight years can continue with the vision that I have,” he told The Commercial Review last month.

“I believe in always trying to figure out what’s the next issue to deal with and what are the solutions we can come up with,” he added.

Boggs, 68, a Main Street resident, is the general manager of WPGW radio and is making his first run for elected office. He is a 1969 graduate of Portland High School and previously worked as president and CEO of Impulse Broadcast Systems and a sales manager for Indianapolis Broadcast Business.

He has been critical of Geesaman’s record and says he has the energy to get things done.

“Success is measured in terms of results,” said Boggs. “You’ve got to have tangible results. … Not ‘we looked into.’ Not ‘we had a meeting about.’ It’s ‘Get it done or go on.’ …

“I may ruffle some feathers. I may upset some people. But I’m bound and determined to get things done.”

In Dunkirk, Ritter, 54, is seeking to become the first mayor in more than 25 years to earn a second term. He is an engineer for Workhorse Custom Chassis in Union City and served on the board of works and park board prior to defeating incumbent Democrat Dan Watson in 2015.

Robbins, 64, is a retired union laborer who is in the midst of his second term on Dunkirk City Council. He is also president of Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation and has served as the city’s heath and safety officer and zoning administrator.

Dunkirk voters also have three options for clerk-treasurer as incumbent Democrat Tina Elliott is being challenged by Republican Jay Miller and independent Kelly Watson. Local Democrats named Elliott to the position in place of Phonnie Kesler, who had resigned prior to her election in 2015.

The other contested clerk-treasurer race is in Redkey, where incumbent Democrat Debbie James is facing a challenge from independent Myra Davis. 

Portland clerk-treasurer Lori Aker-Ferguson, a Democrat, is uncontested.

Portland’s ballot will also feature the following city council races:

•District 1 — Democrat Dave Cramer against Republican Matt Goldsworthy.

•District 2 — Incumbent Democrat Judy Hedges against independent Mike Aker.

•At-large (two seats) — Incumbent Republican Janet Powers against Democrats Dave Golden and Tyler Newell.

Longtime incumbent council members Bill Gibson (District 1) and Judy Aker (at-large) chose not to seek re-election.

There are two contested Dunkirk City Council races with incumbent Democrat Tom Johnson facing a challenge from Republican Richard Buckner for the at-large seat. In District 3, incumbent Republican Jesse Bivens is squaring off against independent Tommy “Chip” Phillips.

Redkey voters will choose three out of six candidates — Democrats “Watermellon” Jim Phillips, Erik Hammers and Nathan Cole, and Republicans Pilot Bechtol, John Pierce and Gary Gardner — for at-large city council seats. The winners will replace incumbents Doug Stanley and Ted Friddle, who chose not to run for re-election, and Dave Dudelston, who lost in the Republican primary.

Uncontested in the general election are:

Republicans

•Incumbent Portland City Council members Michele Brewster, Don Gillespie and Kent McClung

•Incumbent Portland City Court Judge Donald Gillespie

•Kevin Hamilton for Dunkirk City Council District 1

•Krista Scholer for Pennville clerk-treasurer



Democrats

•Incumbent Dunkirk City Council member Lisa Street



Independents

•Tim Smith for Pennville Town Board