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A new Creston mayor was elected Tuesday evening.
Gary Lybarger defeated incumbent Warren Woods unofficially by 45 votes Tuesday in an election that had 16 percent voter turnout (956/5,734). Unofficially, Lybarger garnered 384 total votes, Woods had 339 and Laryl Vanden Berg earned 67.
"I want to thank the voters for putting their trust in me," Lybarger said Tuesday evening. "I've said all along that I'm not a politician, I'll work for and listen to the people and my door will always be open. I'll do the best I possibly can for the people of Creston."
The 69-year-old Lybarger is currently serving on Creston City Council. He has a structural engineering degree from Southwestern Community College and was Creston's city building inspector for 12 years. He said his top priorities as mayor will be lowering property taxes and finding long-term solutions to city street repairs.
This is the second time Lybarger and Woods have locked horns for Creston mayor. Woods prevailed by 34 votes in 2011. Woods said Tuesday evening he knew it would be a close race again. He congratulated Lybarger by phone shortly after the election was over.
"I had a good run and feel good about what was accomplished in my eight years as mayor," Woods said.
Woods played an important role in the restoration of the Iowana Hotel, and the paving of Cottonwood Street and sewer rehabilitation project that's brought more than $2 million in grants to Creston were also accomplished during his tenure.
Lybarger will start his four-year term as Creston mayor in January.
That said, who will fill Lybarger's seat on Creston City Council?
Lisa Williamson, Creston city clerk, said the council will need to appoint someone for his at-large seat before the end of January.
Running unopposed
Incumbents Rich Madison (ward 2), Dr. Gabe Carroll (ward 3) and Marsha Wilson (ward 4) all ran unopposed and were elected to Creston City Council. This will be Wilson's fifth term on the council. She's served ward 4 since 1998.
Steve Wintermute also ran unopposed and will fill the at-large seat on Creston City Council formerly held by Nancy Loudon, who decided not to run again.
"I ran because I like doing the job and it appears most people don't want it," Wintermute said. "Somebody has to do it. I'm looking forward to working with the new mayor and have high hopes that we can get a few things done that are needing done."
Wintermute added another reason he ran for council is that he's fed up with the condition of city streets. Wintermute previously served on the council in the late 1990s.
Voter turnout
Only 956 people voted out of a possible 5,734 registered voters in Tuesday's Creston city election.
That's a voter turnout of about 16.6 percent.
"Voter turnout this year was about par for city elections," said Sandy Hysell, Union County auditor. "City elections always have lower turnout than primary and general elections, but I'd still like to see more people getting to the polls and voting."
In comparison, the 2011 city election that also featured a Creston mayoral race had 812 voters out of a possible 5,130 (15.8 percent). There was also a contested race on city council that year between Kevin Downey and Loudon.
Full results
UNION COUNTY
Voter turnout: 16.67%
Creston Mayor
**Gary Lybarger 384
Warren Woods 339
Laryl Vanden Berg 67
Creston City Council
At-large
**Steve Wintermute 532
Ward 2
**Richard Madison 148
Ward 3
**Gabe Carroll 148
Ward 4
**Marsha Wilson 76
Creston Parks and Recreation Board
**Gary Borcherding 687
Afton Mayor
**Michelle Burger 13
Afton City Council (Elect 2)
**Cynthia Williams 15
**Mary Hill 14
David Cunningham 12
Arispe Mayor
**Dennis Wimmer 16
Arispe City Council (Elect 2)
**Sandy Fry 12
**Darcy Johnson 7
Cromwell Mayor
**Duane Adamson 14
Cromwell City Council (Elect 5)
**Amy Angell 16
**Curt Angell 16
**Robert Hepp 16
**Roger Millslagle 16
**Eric Millslagle 15
Lorimor Mayor
**George Lange (write-in) 52
Randy Wacha 31
Cody Tucker 11
Lorimor City Council (Elect 3)
**Connie Hallberg 57
**Karen Forbes 56
**Tim O'Neil 53
David McMillen 30
David Landers 28
Jesse Bailey 23
Kelly Hudson 22
F. Dennis Orwan 5
Lorimor City Council (To fill a vacancy)
**F. Denis Orwan 49
Karen Tucker 38
Shannon City Mayor
**Terry Gilbert 1
Shannon City Council (Elect 5)
**Butch Hoffman 1
**Randy Lilly 1
**Dale Cook 1
**Glen Hoyt 1
**Jesse Shade 1
Thayer Mayor
**Jennifer Mitchell 6
Thayer City Council (Elect 5)
**Karen Mitchell 6
**Keith Mitchell Jr. 6
**Les Vanderpluym 6
**Deana Welcher 6
**Naomi Welcher 6
ADAMS COUNTY
Corning Mayor
**Guy Brace 165
Warren Blaisure 79
Corning City Council
Ward 1
**Wayne Moore 81
Ward 3
**Adam Goodvin 66
At-large
**Bert Peckham 157
Ranae Nicholson 95
Public Measure A
Shall the city of Corning allocate the one percent local sales and service tax, effective Jan. 1, 2016, to be used for the following purposes?
1. 100 percent is to be allocated for any lawful purpose the city sees need.
2. 0 percent is to be used for property tax relief.
**Yes 153
No 95
Carbon Mayor
**Larry Johnson 17
Carbon City Council (Elect 5)
**Edward Harlow 19
**Mike Kempton 18
**Donna Rochau 17
**Marlene Lee 16
**Daryl Magnuson (write-in) 12
Jerry Anderson 6
Nodaway Mayor
**Patricia Shipley 13
Nodaway City Council (Elect 5)
**Hartford Cooper 15
**Brenda Dunn 14
**Christine Dunn 14
**Becky Poen 14
**Gary Poen 14
Prescott Mayor
**Bob Henrichs (write-in) 34
Joni Chafa (write-in) 21
Prescott City Council (Elect 2)
**Crystal Schafer (write-in) 30
**Julie Krauth (write-in) 29
John Grossnickle (write-in) 22
Jordan Walter (write-in) 20
Prescott City Council (To fill a vacancy)
**April Damewood 27
Jordan Walter 26
ADAIR COUNTY
Adair Mayor
**John Larsen 91
Adair City Council (Elect 3)
**Kyle Irlmeier 85
**Craig Wedemeyer 72
**James Snyder 70
Adair voter turnout: 18.39 percent
Bridgewater Mayor
**Steve Frese (write-in) 24
Bridgewater City Council (Elect 3)
**Meril Bower (write-in) 20
**Leo Marnin (write-in) 20
**Christy Burg (write-in) 19
Bridgewater voter turnout: 25 percent
Fontanelle Mayor
**Wayne Miller 55
Fontanelle City Council (Elect 3)
**Cindy Baldogo 72
**Marlene Davis 61
**Rodney Dukes 37
Fontanelle voter turnout: 17.21 percent
Greenfield Mayor
**Ron Smith 45
Greenfield City Council (Elect 2)
**Brian Eisbach 63
**Richard Schaecher 61
Greenfield City Council Person (To fill a vacancy)
**Suzanne Wagner 68
Greenfield Park Board
**William Raasch 68
Greenfield Park Board (To fill a vacancy)
**Douglas Wallace 70
Greenfield voter turnout: 7.17 percent
Orient Mayor
**James Sitzman 70
Orient City Council (Elect 2)
**Gary Metzger 81
**Shawn Subbert (write-in) 19
Orient voter turnout: 30.14 percent
Stuart City Council (Elect 2)
**James Morgan 30
**Eric Weber 26
Stuart voter turnout: 3.18 percent
RINGGOLD COUNTY
Benton Mayor
**Don Zollman (write-in) 20
Benton City Countil (Elect 3)
**Linda Barber (write-in) 15
**Don Hove (write-in) 15
**Daron Richie (write-in) 15
Delphos Mayor
**Bernerd Rothman 3
Delphos City Council (Elect 5)
**Merilyn Johnson (write-in) 6
**Lesa Saville (write-in) 4
**Deb Roach (write-in) 3
**Cindy Percifield (write-in) 3
**Fifth council member to be determined at canvass
Kevin Ray (write-in) 2
Ashley Ray (write-in) 2
Chad Bounds (write-in) 1
Christina Levy (write-in) 1
Maloy Mayor
**Jeanette Todd (write-in) 2
Mel Burton (write-in) 1
Maloy City Council (Elect 3)
**Winners will be determined at canvass
Linda Murphy (write-in) 1
Curt Jackson (write-in) 1
Mel Burton (write-in) 1
Amanda Overholser (write-in) 1
Tim Burton (write-in) 1
Diagonal Mayor
**Lowell Johnson 21
Diagonal City Council (Elect 3)
**Shon O'Kelley 29
**Jim Norris 28
**Doug Ruby 27
Ellston Mayor
**Jerri Stewart (write-in) 12
Tim Creveling (write-in) 3
Ellston City Council (Elect 5)
**Nan Derscheid (write-in) 13
**Curt Jones (write-in) 12
**Kristi Jarred (write-in) 11
**Matthew Weeda (write-in) 11
**Hester Derscheid (write-in) 9
Beaconsfield Mayor
**Clarence Steinbach Sr. (write-in) 3
Gary Smith (write-in) 2
Beaconsfield City Council (Elect 3)
**Connie Neessen 7
**Mike Neessen 7
**Third council member to be determined at canvass
Rosalie Peterson 5
Cindy Steinbach (write-in) 5
Sun Valley Rural Improvement Zone Board of Trustees (Elect 2)
**Jim Green 28
**Ron Rainey 27
Kellerton Mayor
**Thomas Giles 51
Diana Euritt 20
Kellerton City Council (Elect 3)
**Joe Stark 66
**Mitch Doolittle 55
**Rodney Holmes 48
Paul Fifer 22
Kellerton City Council (To fill a vacancy)
**Danny Webb 66
Mount Ayr Mayor
**Steve Fetty 338
Mount Ayr City Council (Elect 3)
**Brad Elliott 295
**Kenneth Robertson 238
**Don Solliday 148
Jennifer Kellner 125
Edwin Rotert Jr. 121
Gerald Cannon 84
Wes Mathany 70
Dwight Hickman 43
Redding Mayor
**Jerry Overholser (write-in) 14
Redding City Council (Elect 5)
**Dick Snethen (write-in) 15
**Morris Carpenter (write-in) 15
**Jeff Quick (write-in) 15
**Frank Baker (write-in) 14
**Al Rich (write-in) 10
Tingley Mayor
**Jeremy Phelps (write-in) 23
Andrew Apadaca (write-in) 4
Jason Ackley (write-in) 3
Sherri Briner (write-in) 3
Tingley City Council (Elect 3)
**Robert Johnson 39
**Brad Smith 25
**Vanessa Smith 22
TAYLOR COUNTY
Bedford Mayor
**Matt Churchill 206
Bedford City Council (Elect 5)
**Matt Ambrose 190
**Machelle Musich 172
**Karen Wallace 172
**Bonnie Godden 149
**Donnie Weed 131
Jaime Key 129
Sandy Kennedy 64
Kathy Silvestre 64
Blockton Mayor
**Richard Brown 35
Blockton City Council (Elect 2)
**John Cavin 31
**Nancy Garrison 31
Public Measure A: To authorize imposition of a local sales and services tax in the City of Blockton at the rate of 1 percent, to be effective July 1, 2016.
**Yes 33
No 3
Clearfield Mayor
**Roger Hering 19
Sharon Brown 16
Clearfield City Council (Elect 2)
**Jennie Stephens 20
**Luke Larsen 18
Lori Becker 16
Conway Mayor
**David Davis 6
Conway City Council (Elect 3)
**Roxanne Smith 6
**Tonya Cook 6
**Lacy Smith 5
Ronnie Brammer 1
Gravity Mayor
**Curtis Ambrose 22
Terry Joynes 20
Gravity City Council (Elect 5)
**Deloris Brumfield 26
**Bob Swan 25
**Josh Rusco 24
**Rick Brumfield 22
**Jeremiah Ambrose 21
Terry McLeod 20
Irene Smith 18
Linda Joynes 14
Bill Mintzer 13
Lenox Mayor
**Melissa Douglas 79
Lenox City Council (Elect 3)
**Hugh Vogel 84
**Michael Bowman 72
**Paula Borland 71
Clint Curtis 58
New Market Mayor
**Frank Sefrit 16
Jim Radke 9
New Market City Council (Elect 3)
**Paul Gruber 27
**Robert Riddle 26
**Charles Hobbick 22
Sharpsburg Mayor
**Dennis Brown 17
Sharpsburg City Council (Elect 5)
**Susan Breach 18
**Janice Blanchard 17
**Jeffrey Luft 17
**Kenneth Brand 16
**Mitchell Bond 15
Beverley Bender 2