Mayoral special election petition gains traction

As the Creston City Council conducts interviews to appoint a new mayor, a group of Creston citizens is working to force a special election.

Following the resignation of Mayor Waylon Clayton in September, the council had to decide what the best course of action would be to fill the mayoral position for the last two years of the term.

In a special meeting later that month, the council debated appointment versus election, ultimately voting unanimously to appoint a mayor, with applications open to the public. Though the council voted to appoint, a special election can still be forced if the public obtains at least 182 signatures from Creston citizens who are eligible to vote.

One of the main reasons why council members went with appointment was cost. According to the Union County Auditor’s Office, a special election would cost the city about $11,500. However, Dillon Daughenbaugh, one of the driving forces in getting signatures, said the cost was acceptable to give the people a voice.

“I think paying that would kind of instill some confidence back in the community, that we get to decide who that next mayor is,” Daughenbaugh said. “If it was just three, six months, a shorter time frame, I think an appointment would be absolutely necessary to save the city the cost.”

Daughenbaugh said the main three pushing the petition for special election have been himself, Toby Henry and Karen Drake. Henry and Drake are also running for city council in November’s election.

Henry agreed with Daughenbaugh on the time frame, stating that two years was a long time for a council appointee. “It’s a two-year term, and I just felt it was more important for the voters to decide who our mayor is for two years rather than city council,” Henry said.

The group has seen strong support from people across Creston, reaching more than 130 signatures in just 24 hours.

“I think it’s a pretty non-partisan issue. I’ve got a lot of support from everybody,” Daughenbaugh said. “I’m assuming we’re going to have the rest [Thursday], if not by Friday.”

Even if the group surpasses the 182 needed signatures before this afternoon, they will continue collecting signatures the rest of the day.

“I still want to give people the opportunity to be a part of this,” Daughenbaugh said. He plans to be in the parking lot across from the former Strand Theater from about 5 to 6 p.m. tonight to collect final signatures.

“I think everybody should be involved with their local government and their local politics,” Daughenbaugh said. “If you have a passion for something, whether it’s serving your community or serving in office or just behind the scenes, getting involved in some way, regardless of what side of the alley you’re on, [is important.]”