Residents waited as the votes were being counted, but as the 10 p.m. hour arrived many were confident who would take the top three spots in the race for Glendora City Council.
The semi-official results for the 2015 Municipal Election saw newcomer Gary Boyer taking first place with 2,604 votes, followed by newcomer Mendell Thompson with 2,242. Glendora Mayor Judy Nelson took third place with 2,077. Council member Joe Santoro was edged out with 1,880 votes.
Newcomers Michael Allawos and Erica Landmann remained stuck in the two bottom spots amongst the six hopefuls, with 1,825 and 1,711, respectively.
As of this story’s launch, the semi-official count saw 12,339 votes cast from resident’s ballots; somewhat moderate compared to previous years. This would reflect approximately 4,113 voters, since each voter could choose up to 3 candidates. That’s down from the 5,887 voters based on a 20.3% registered voter turnout in 2011 according to the 2011 April/May issue of the Glendora Report that quoted Glendora City Clerk, Kathleen Sessman.
Our readers poll, conducted from Jan. 12 to Jan. 19, provided a very accurate window into the minds of Glendorans, showing Boyer, Thompson and Nelson in the top three spots.
Council member Doug Tessitor decided to not seek reelection for a variety of reasons, one being his health concerns, GCN learned.
Boyer, owner of Southland Properties, and Thompson, president/CEO of America’s Christian Credit Union, both waited for the results to unfold while in the Village; Boyer at Southland Properties and Thompson at Glendora Florist.
After the final, semi-official numbers were read, GCN was there when Boyer and Thompson both met soon after and congratulated each other, offering well wishes in their coming work ahead.
Thompson, a resident for more than 30 years, decided to run for City Council as a means to give back to the city that his family has called home.
“We’ve lived here, the children have grown up here, transitioned through schools here. I want to give back to make sure the city … is the kind of city that will be fit for many, many years to come,” Thompson said is his statement of intent video.
Boyer became concerned about the direction Council members were taking the city regarding housing developments.
“My decision to run for City Council came after hearing City leaders repeat statements that High Density Housing similar to the apartments on Glendora Avenue at Route 66 is ‘the future of Glendora.’ It doesn’t have to be that way,” Boyer said is his candidate bio on the GCN website. “Yes, growth and change are an essential part of life, but it must be managed properly to protect traditions we cherish.”
Glendora Mayor Judy Nelson sought a second term based on the principals of small government, limited regulation, low taxes and protection of personal freedom. Like Boyer, Nelson also became concerned about the type of housing that has risen in town.
“A personal focus of mine is encouraging residents to become involved in local government. I am an advocate for holding Town Hall meetings to offer dialogue on critical issues facing the city,” Nelson said on her candidate bio on GCN.
All vote by mail and provisional ballots that were received at the polls or at City Hall on March 3 that have yet to be authenticated will be verified and authenticated March 4. This process could be completed by Wednesday, March 11, according to City Clerk Kathleen Sessman.
470 vote by mail ballots are in the process of being verified and will be counted next week, Sessman added.
Additional vote by mail ballots could be delivered to City Hall until Friday, March 6, after the passage of SB 29 in Sept. of 2014. The new law which went into effect Jan. 1 allows voters to submit a vote by mail ballot that is postmarked on election day.
