Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Three candidates elected to Bellevue Council

Election marked by low voter turnout

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By JASON KAUFFMAN
Express Staff Writer

Voter turnout during Bellevue's City Council election Monday was significantly lower than the two previous elections the city held in 2005, Bellevue City Clerk Dee Barton said Tuesday.

The low turnout may have been a result of the election being an uncontested race between three candidates vying for three City Council seats up for election, Barton said.

Elected to the City Council in the uncontested race Monday were incumbents Vivian Ivie and Steve Fairbrother, and council newcomer Beth Callister, who is currently a Bellevue Planning and Zoning commissioner. Callister will replace current City Council member Jon Wilkes, who withdrew his nomination for re-election.

The newly elected City Council members will be sworn in during the council's meeting on May 11. They will join fellow aldermen Shaun Mahoney, Chris Koch and Tammy Eaton on the six-member panel.

Of Bellevue's 1,020 registered voters, only 67 cast ballots in the election Monday, a mere 6.6 percent voter turnout, Barton said.

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"It was extremely low," she said.

Monday's voter turnout was considerably lower than an approximately 20 percent voter turnout during last year's city elections in April and a 25 percent voter turnout at a Bellevue wastewater sewer bond election in November, Barton noted.