Havre de Grace voters returned incumbents Stephen Gamatoria, David Glenn and Michael Hitchings to the City Council Tuesday and authorized the city to borrow $4.5 million to finish the city's Opera House renovation and upgrade water treatment plant.
With three seats up for grabs on the six-member council, seven candidates filed, including all three incumbents. Three of the four challengers – John Correri Jr, Johnny Boker and Robert Robinson – had held or sought office before.
Jason Robertson, who made his first run for elected office, ended with a close fourth-place finish as 10 votes separated he and Hitchings. Hitchings, who won his first elected two-year term after being appointed to the council in 2015, had 722 votes, while Robertson had 712, according to the unofficial election results.
Absentee and provisional ballots must still be counted, with canvasses scheduled for Thursday, next Monday and then May 13, according to the Harford County Board of Elections' website.
Glenn had the highest number of votes, 837, while Gamatoria, the current council president, finished second with 773 votes.
Unofficial results in the council race, in order of finish, are:
David Glenn - 837
Stephen Gamatoria - 773
Michael Hitchings - 722
Jason Robertson - 712
Johnny Boker - 572
John P. Correri Jr. - 403
Robert Robinson - 177
Meanwhile, the two borrowing referendum questions on the ballot had predictable results.
Question A (Water plant $2.4 million loan)
Yes - 1,193
No - 340
Question B (Opera House $2.1 million loan)
Yes - 1,048
No – 489
George Deibel, chairman of the Havre de Grace Board of Elections, said 1,557 people voted Tuesday. There are about 9,300 registered voters in the city.
"I had no hidden agenda," Glenn said after the results were announced in St. Patrick Hall, the same place where voters had been going to the polls all day.
"I ran because of my love for Havre de Grace, and I just love serving with this council and the best is yet to come," said Glenn, who was re-elected to a third term.
Gamatoria won his third non-consecutive term. He served on the council from 2006 to 2008, and he returned in 2014.
"I'm very pleased that the voters had confidence in me for the next two years, and we just want to keep the city moving forward," Gamatoria said.
Hitchings called this year's election "a great race."
"Everybody ran a very fair contest," he said. "I really liked that there was no negativity in it, and I couldn't have been there without the support of my family."
Mayor Bill Martin, who was also present for the reading of the election results, will be working with the same City Council that he was working with before the election. The other sitting council members include Monica Worrell, David Martin and Randy Craig, who will be up for election in 2017.
"The voters had a really tough election, because all the candidates were excellent," Martin said.
The mayor said the three incumbents are "excellent council members," but he encouraged the four challengers to remain involved in city affairs.
"I hope they run again in the future, because I think Havre de Grace will be served well," he said.
Martin praised the positive tone of the election.
"I really appreciate people being positive about their campaigns," he said.
Voters also approved, by a wide margin, two bond measures, including Question A, to borrow up to $2.4 million to upgrade the water treatment plant, and Question B, to borrow up to $2.1 million to support the ongoing renovations of the historic Havre de Grace Opera House.
Question A passed with 1,193 "yes" votes to 340 "no" votes, and Question B passed with 1,048 "yes" votes to 489 "no" votes.
"Tomorrow, we're going to start making more water and get the Opera House going," Martin said.
He and Gamatoria were both pleased about the bond measures passing.
"To me, those questions represent laying the foundation for the future of this city," he said. "I'm very proud of the citizens for being informed and making the right decisions."
Gamatoria said he felt "there was an overwhelming endorsement from the citizens."
The polls were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Deibel said the turnout had been "slow and steady, and a couple of rush periods."
Voters were still coming out, 10 to 15 minutes before the polls closed.
"I got in under the wire with five minutes to spare, so I'm very glad," said Edda Sonnenberg.
Sonnenberg said she thought there was a lot of interest in the election as "a lot of people were running for a few seats."
Voter Daniel Barnes said he had just gotten off work and was heading for Tydings Park when he checked the time and saw he only had a few minutes before the polls closed.
"I realize that people died for the right for me to be able to vote," Barnes said.
Jim and Brenda Ringsaker brought their two children, 8-year-old Matthew and 6-year-old Sydney, with them when they went to vote.
"I want to see both bond bills pass, and I think the incumbents have done a wonderful job," Jim Ringsaker said.
Ringsaker said he usually brings his children to the polls, since he wants them to see how the political process works.
"I want them to take an active role in their own government," he said.
Those elected Tuesday will be sworn in for their two-year terms at the May 16 meeting of the mayor and city council.