2 incumbents lose city council seats in Riverview
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
Voters approved marijuana retail businesses in Lincoln Park and turned them down in Allen Park in Tuesday’s general election, while two incumbent Riverview City Council members will not be returning to office.
Lincoln Park’s 56 percent voter approval — 1,751 to 1,374 — of marijuana businesses will allow two provisioning centers and retail facilities, and one in each of the other categories, which include secure transporters, safety compliance facilities, and cultivation and processing centers. The marijuana businesses would be permitted in the city’s general industrial district, and may open no earlier than 9 a.m., and must close by 10 p.m. All marijuana businesses will be licensed as required by law.
Allen Park residents declined marijuana retail establishment by an almost 2-to-1 margin, 3,051 to 1,921, while also electing a new mayor and council. Gail McLeod defeated Kevin Rourke for mayor, 1,084 to 893.
Of the 12 city council candidates, the top six vote getters, who will form the new city council, are Tony Lalli (2,936), Daniel Loyd (2,870), Pam Sych (2,758), Robert Stites (2,511), Matthew Valerius (1,799) and Gary Schlack (1,781). Rounding out the field were Charles Blevins (1,513), Dennis Marcos (1,502), David Michael Miller (1,353), Brian McLelan (1,159), Steve Gary (1,121) and Chad Morrow (893).
Northern Allen Park voters joined their Melvindale counterparts in rejecting the Melvindale-Northern Allen Park school district bond proposal, 1,476 to 1,053.
Like neighboring Allen Park, Melvindale also elected a new mayor, with City Councilman Wheeler Marsee defeating candidate Ian Striz by a 2-to-1 margin, 1,026 to 509.
Linda Land defeated Lisa Cadez for city clerk, 798 to 666, with the six city council candidates gaining seats including the one incumbent on the ballot, Steven Densmore (688), and five newcomers: Joe Jackson (808), Stanley Filipowski (742), Julie Rauser (711), P. Scott Frederick (704) and Dawn Cartrette (677). Finishing out of the money were Betty Lindlbauer (655), Asseel Saeed (541), Johnny Earl Barnett (372) and Barbara Keahl (364).
Two city council incumbents in Riverview were not as fortunate, with Thomas Coffey and Elmer Trombley losing their re-election bids. Newcomers Suzanne O’Neil (1,279) and Chuck Norton (1,166) were the top two vote-getters, while Lynn Blanchette (1,104) narrowly retained her seat, with 10 votes more than Coffey (1,094). Trombley finished last with 1,007 votes.
Riverview voters also approved the charter amendment proposal 1,573 to 423.
In Trenton, voters returned Mayor Kyle Stack to office, with 54 percent of the vote (2,353), defeating challengers Tom Kinney (1,087) and Ryan Stewart (897). Incumbent City Councilmen Nelson Perugi (2,557) and Bill LeFevre (2,548) retained their seats, where they will be joined by newcomer Wendy Pate who topped the field with 2,916 votes. Dora Rodriguez finished last with 2,356.
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