The Village of Owego’s recount of the March 18 election was conducted on March 24 at 10 a.m., and the initial results of the election were upheld, according to Village of Owego Clerk/Treasurer Rod Marchewka. A total of three votes were changed, for three candidates.
In the closest race, Jenny Ceccherelli gained one vote in the Third Ward contest, gaining a seat for the Rebuild Owego Party by defeating Ann Lockwood of A Positive Change Party. Lockwood lost one vote, for a final count of 300 to Ceccherelli’s 308.
A Positive Change Party leader Lisa Curatolo lost her bid for an open trustee seat being vacated by current Rebuild Owego Trustee Karl Jantz, and the recount saw Curatolo lose another vote. Phoebe Shafer-Morris won, and retained the 1st Ward seat for Rebuild Owego, final Tally Morris 323, Curatolo 279.
In the final race the election night tally remained unchanged. Outgoing Rebuild Owego Trustee Eric Yetter’s seat representing the 2nd Ward flipped to A Positive Change with Rob Manville’s 323 to 292 victory over Jacque Millar.
The election leaves the balance of power unchanged on the Owego Board of Trustees, and the opinion of voters more difficult to judge than reading tea leaves. Two of the Rebuild Owego candidates, who ran on support for maintaining or expanding the Owego Police Department (OPD), won. The third race went to A Positive Change, which is more open to changes up to and including having the Tioga County Sheriff take over policing of the village.
With a two to one victory, it would be possible to say voters have spoken, and support OPD. However, with a majority of A Positive Change Trustees including Manville and sitting Trustees Earl Hartman, Mike Phelps and Steve May, voters did not shift the balance of power on the board with a needed clean sweep for Rebuild Owego. Ceccherelli and Shafer-Morris are joined by Mayor Kevin Millar, but they are three votes to A Positive Change’s four.
