Voters Recall School Board & Township Officials

By William R. Dixon
Tribune Recorder Leader

Voters recalled three Sandusky School Board Members and nine Township Board members in the November Special Election held last Tuesday.
The Sandusky School Board will have three new faces as Kelly Trowhill, Katie Tovar and David Heberling bested incumbents Jane Jacobson, Dan Gerstenberger and Jason Trepkowski.
Voter turnout was just over 33% including all 13 Sandusky Community School precincts.
Trowhill received the most overall votes with 872 while her opponent Jacobson garnered 646.
The Tovar v. Gerstenberger race was the closest with a victory margin of just 26 votes. (778-752).
Heberling outpaced Trepkowski by nearly a hundred votes (814-719).
The three newcomers are expected to be sworn in at an future Board of Education meeting.
Voters were also successful in recalling eight out of nine officials from Speaker and Fremont Townships.
Fremont Trustee Karen Kovach was the lone incumbent that was able to retain her seat. She bested Debra Diane Allen (253-140).
Fremont Township turnout measured nearly 59% of registered voters casting a ballot.
Fremont Supervisor Jeff Furness was ousted falling to write-in candidate Mark Kenward 221-175.
Sonya Francis was a Fremont Clerk write-in candidate and bested Reta Gardner 229-170.
Fremont Treasurer Patti Shinn also lost to a write-in, Jessica Onufrak, 225-173.
Lastly in Fremont write-in candidate Kevin O’Bradley unseated Michael Knoll 230-167.
Speaker Township recorded just over 43% registered voter turnout and recalled the Clerk, Treasurer and two Trustees.
Michelle Brown will become the new Speaker Twp. Clerk after receiving 250 votes with incumbent Dawn Cubitt’s 183.
The Fremont Clerk position will be filled by Rochelle Stevens 239-194 over Tracy Sheldon.
Speaker Township Trustees Thomas Murray and Charles Stanley were unseated in favor of Fred Moss and Jeremie Risdon.
Fred Moss logged 250 votes while Murray received 177.
Stanley lost to Risdon by a nearly identical 256-179.
Lastly, Sandusky Community Schools voters overwhelmingly approved the 18 mil. Operating Millage renewal 1,114-429.