Madison Messenger - January 20th, 2019

www.madisonmessengernews.com January 20, 2019 - MADISON MESSENGER - Page 3
What’s up for election and how to file for candidacy
By Kristy Zurbrick
Madison Editor
The deadline to file as a candidate in the
May 7 primary election is 4 p.m. Feb. 6.
In Madison County, the positions up for
election are the mayor’s seat in West Jefferson
and most of the elected seats for the city
of London. The positions must be contested
in order for a primary to take place; the
guidelines are different between West Jefferson
and London.
For a primary election to take place for
the West Jefferson mayor’s seat, at least
three candidates must gather signatures
and file with the Madison County Board of
Elections. If two or fewer file, no primary
will be held. The position is non-partisan.
The term is for four years.
Individuals interested in running for the
West Jefferson mayor’s seat have two options.
To have their name appear on the ballot,
they must secure at least 25 valid
signatures from registered voters in West
Jefferson and file the petitions with the
Board of Elections by Feb. 6.
Or, they can file as write-in candidates.
Write-ins are not required to collect signatures;
their names do not appear on the ballot.
The deadline to file as a write-in is 4
p.m. Feb. 25. At least three candidates who
collect signatures must file before write-in
candidates will be included on the ballot.
The filing fee for West Jefferson mayoral
candidates is $30. If a primary takes place,
the top two vote-getters move on to the November
general election.
For a primary election to take place in
London, at least two candidates must file for
a seat. Among the seats up for election are
auditor, law director, council president,
mayor, and three at-large council seats.
Major party candidates for these seats must
collect at least 50 valid signatures. Minor
party candidates must collect at least 25
valid signatures. The petitions are due to
the Board of Elections by Feb. 6.
Independent candidates for these seats
will not run in the primary election. Their
names will appear on the November ballot.
They must collect at least 25 valid signatures
and submit petitions by 4 p.m. May 6.
All four council ward seats also are up for
election. Major party candidates must collect
at least 25 valid signatures; minor party
candidates must collect at least 13 valid signatures.
The petitions are due to the Board
of Elections by Feb. 6.
Engineer taking on more bike path maintenance
Independent candidates for the ward
seats will not run in the primary election.
Their names will appear on the November
ballot. Independent candidates for the the
Ward 1, 2 and 4 seats must collect 25 signatures;
independent candidates for the Ward
3 seat must collect 19 signatures. Petitions
are due by May 6.
The filing fee for London city government
seats is $45.
There is no option for write-in candidates
in the London primary election.
The London auditor, law director and
mayor seats are four-year terms. All other
city seats are two-year terms.
For details, visit the Board of Elections
website at madson.ohioboe.com or call (740)
852-9424. The office is located at 1423 State
Rte. 38 SE, London.
By Kristy Zurbrick
Madison Editor
The Madison County Park District is taking
bike path mowing duties in-house.
Currently, the district contracts with a
local company to mow grass along 10.5 miles
of the Ohio To Erie Trail that run through
Madison County (primarily London). The
path is known locally as the Prairie Grass
Trail and the Roberts Pass Trail.
Madison County Engineer Bryan
Dhume, whose office oversees maintenance
of the trail, proposed to the Madison County
commissioners on Jan. 15 that his office
take over the mowing. He said his office
could be more responsive.
He proposed hiring a part-time employee
to mow along the trail, at the two trailheads
COUNCIL
Continued from page 1
to me. I am not paid overtime, and several
council members here could have stated
that because they approve my time, including
Tammy.”
Vance also addressed an accusation by
Ron Vansickle that insinuated she and
Mayor Martin were engaging in in appropriate
activities. At the last council meeting,
Ron Vansickle asked the mayor why he
worked late hours with Vance.
At the Jan. 14 meeting, Tammy Vansickle
said she would not take a stand on
comments her family members made.
“I’m not defending or criticizing a family
member,” Vansickle said. “I am not going to
address comments a family member said
and will abstain from that conversation.”
Vance said Vansickle’s duties as a council
member should include clarifying information
she knows is false, referring to the overtime
pay accusation.
“It is your job to divulge information to
the public and offer explanations for questions,”
Vance said. “I’m not asking you to
speak against a family member, I’m asking
you to do your job. You approve my time
sheets and know I don’t get paid for overtime.”
Also at the meeting, Mayor Martin and
Ward got into a heated exchange related to
complaints from residents about village
staff. Recently, a resident complained that
Vance did not answer their phone calls to
discuss their utility bill.
“I took a complaint from a resident and
gave it to Mayor Martin,” Ward said. “I’m
sick of delivering reports to him and nothing
happening.”
Mayor Martin said it is not council’s responsibility
to try to reprimand employees.
“Council members do not write letters for
my employees and request they are put into
their personnel file,” Martin said. “I write
those letters and decide what goes into employees’
files.”
Ward then walked away from his council
seat.
“Someone needs to stand up for the people,”
Ward said on his way out. “I’ll sit in the
audience for the rest of the meeting and
take the night off.”
located on West High Street and East Center
Street, and to cut weeds around fences.
He also proposed that the work include
mowing at the Little Darby State Scenic
River Preserve, located on Lafayette Plain
City Road, London. (The work would not include
mowing the trail section between
Maple Street and Spring Valley Road, which
is maintained by the city of London.)
Dhume estimates the job will take 24
hours per week, 36 weeks out of the year.
He proposed setting the pay rate at $14 per
hour, which equates to a labor cost of
$12,000 per year. Additional expenses for
equipment use, equipment purchases and
fuel would add another $5,300 in expenses
per year, he said.
Dhume proposed doing the work inhouse
for a year to see how it goes. The commissioners
voted to move forward with termination
of the contracted mowing service.
Dhume said he will advertise for the job
opening.
Pancake Breakfast
In other park district news, the Friends
of the Madison County Parks & Trails
(FMCPT), the volunteer group that helps
with maintenance and development of the
bike path, is once again teaming up with the
Madison County Senior Center to put on a
pancake and sausage breakfast.
The event is set for 7 to 11 a.m. Feb. 9 at
the senior center, 280 W. High St., London.
Adults eat for $6; children 12 and younger
eat for $4. A silent auction will take place
from 7 to 10:45 a.m. Proceeds will be split
between FMCPT and the senior center.
FMCPT welcomes donations of items for
the silent auction and will post photos of the
auction items on its Facebook page.
LONDON PUBLIC LIBRARY
LIBRARY CLOSED ON SUNDAYS
• Monday, January 21st - Closed
• Tuesday, January 22nd - Toddler Time - 10:00 am
Preschool Story Time - 11:00 am
Levi at the Library - 4:00 pm
• Thursday, January 24th - ABC’s of Movement - 6:30 pm
• Monday, January 28th - Friends of the Library Meeting - 6:00 pm
• Tuesday, January 29th - Toddler Time - 10:00 am
Preschool Story Time - 11:00 am
Levi at the Library - 4:00 pm
• Wednesday, January 30th - DIY Herbal Balms - 6:00 pm
(registration required)
• Thursday, January 31st - Play Date - 10:30 am
ABC’s of Movement - 6:30 pm
Check out the library’s website for a list of all our Programs.
visit: http://mylondonlibrary.org for more information