MANSFIELD — There will be one contested primary election for Mansfield City Council.
Stephanie Zader, elected last week to fill an unexpired at-large seat by members of the local Republican Party’s Mansfield Central Committee, will be challenged by Dr. Christopher Beale in the May 4 election.
The filing deadline for candidates and issues for the May 4 primary was Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Zader, a local Realtor and entrepreneur, received all 12 Central Committee votes on Jan. 28, besting Beale, an oral surgeon making his first run at elected office.
Zader, a 385 Greenlee Road resident who ran unsuccessfully to represent the 6th Ward in 2019, is completing the unexpired term of new City Council President David Falquette.
Falquette was appointed last week to complete the term of Cliff Mears, selected earlier this month to replace former county Commissioner Marilyn John, now a state representative.
Beale, a 10-year veteran of the U.S. Navy who moved to Mansfield four years ago, lives at 1535 Pine Grove Court.
The winner of the primary will take on Democrat Sammie Dunn Jr., 435 Lawnsdale Ave., in November. Dunn is unopposed in the May primary.
Three other Mansfield City Council seats in November will offer both Democratic and Republican candidates, none of whom are opposed in the primary.
1st Ward –Democrat Joshua Koehler, 1386 Robinhood Lane, vs. Republican Laura Burns, 1329 Beechdale Drive
3rd Ward — Democrat Jon Van Harlingen, 918 Linden Circle West, vs. Republican Eleazer Akuchie, 136 Dawson Ave.
5th Ward — Democrat Aurelio Diaz, 32 N. Walnut St., vs. Republican Jason Lawrence, 166 W. 4th St.
The complete countywide list of primary candidates and tax issues can be found here:
2021 primary candidates and issues
Richland County Board of Elections Director Paulette Hankins said City of Shelby candidates have until Feb. 18 to file petitions, according to their city charter.
Hankins said since two candidates in Mansfield filed for the City Council at-large seat on the Republican side, all Republican candidates in the city will actually appear on the Republican primary ballot.
“Even though the ward races are uncontested on the Republican ballot, the fact that the at-large seat is a higher office triggers all the Republican candidates being on the ballot,” Hankins said.
“There will not be a Democratic primary ballot in Mansfield since none of the Democratic seats are contested in the primary,” she said.
On the May primary ballot for Mansfield, voters will be requests for four-year renewals of two, 0.25 percent income tax levies.
One is the Parks, Recreation, Illumination, Demolitions and Emergency Services (PRIDE) tax, which generates about $3.7 million annually and benefits the city’s police and fire departments (50 percent), as well as parks and recreation (22 percent), demolition (20 percent) and street lights (8 percent). It was first approved in 2013 and renewed in 2017.
The other renewal is for road construction and repair, also known as the “I Hate Potholes” levy. It generates a similar amount as PRIDE and goes directly to the city’s street repair efforts, a tax that has helped local road work for more than three decades.
Both levies received overwhelming support in 2017, each receiving around 79 percent of the vote.
In Ontario, since no seats are contested, the candidates will be nominated on through to the general election without a primary, according to Hankins.
“Three candidates filed for Ontario Council at-large, but there are three seats up for election. Ontario voters will only have the Charter Formation question on their ballot and all will receive the issues-only ballot,” Hankins said.
Other sub-divisions in Richland County which will be open for voting in May with only an issue on their ballots include the Village of Plymouth with a tax levy renewal, the Village of Shiloh, with a tax levy renewal, and Washington Township with a bond issue.
All City of Mansfield precincts will be open for voting on May 4. Voters in the City of Mansfield will be able to choose either a Republican or an issues-only ballot.
The following precincts will be open for voting in the May primary with only an issue on their ballot: All Ontario precincts, Plymouth A precinct (split.2 only), Cass precinct (split.1 only), and the Washington Township precincts Jeff A (.1 split); Lex B (.1 split); Wash A; B; C; D; and F, according to Hankins.
No issues were filed in the Shelby district, so if none of their seats have more than than two candidates file petitions by Feb. 18, there will not be any precincts open in Shelby, Hankins said.
“All petitions and issues must be reviewed and certified by our board at our next meeting before they are officially certified,” she said.
