Aumsville votes to recall half of city council after divisive police fee

Bill Poehler | Statesman Journal

Aumsville city councilors Kevin Crawford, Trina Lee and Lorie Walters appear to have been voted out of office.

In late returns from Tuesday's recall election, Crawford was being recalled by 13 percentage points (448 yes votes to 351 no votes), Lee was recalled by 15 points (457 yes to 343 no) and Walters was recalled by 15 points (459 yes to 339 no).

As of Tuesday evening, 824 ballots of a possible 2,410 had been returned and 805 had been accepted. The tally will be re-examined after the Fourth of July holiday.

Aumsville citizen Derek Clevenger was the chief petitioner in the successful drive to force a recall election.

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He and residents were upset with how the City Council voted to add a monthly $12 public safety fee to residents’ water and sewer bills to pay for 24-hour police service for the town.

They wanted the council to put the fee to a citywide vote.

“This was never something that was an indication that we felt that any of the city councilors were bad people, per se,” Clevenger said.

“But I really think that this is an example of a community standing up and holding you accountable.”

Crawford, Lee and Walters are the three most recently elected of Aumsville's six city councilors, having started their terms in January 2017.

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The seats held by Aumsville Mayor Robert Baugh Jr. and councilors Della Seney, Brian Czarnik and Gabe Clayton will be up for election in November.

The three seats on the city council currently held by Crawford, Lee and Walters will be filled with people appointed by the remaining city councilors.

“I want to be optimistic about it and I want to say that the three remaining city councilors are going to take this as an indication that something needs to change,” Clevenger said. “Do I honestly believe that when I say that? I don’t know.”

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bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com or Twitter.com/bpoehler