Guest Author
Marathon voters on Tuesday re-elected Mark Senmartin to the City Council and sent Michelle Coldiron into office, as well.
Senmartin, owner of a gun shop and pawn shop, and Coldiron, owner of a medical supply business, were two of five candidates running for two at-large seats, meaning the two with the most votes won.
“I want to say I am once again humbled and thankful to the residents of Marathon who voted for me,” Senmartin said.
“I’m humbled and very pleased that the voters came out and voted for me and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work,” Coldiron said.
Senmartin received 888 votes (23.35 percent) and Coldiron 781 votes (20.54 percent). Following were former Councilman Dick Ramsay, a planning commissioner who received 712 votes (18.72 percent); Realtor Trish Hintze (546 votes, 14.36 percent); and gym owner Nick Antonelli (436 votes, 11.46 percent).
Senmartin will serve his second term. Coldiron replaces Rich Keating, who was term-limited out. Terms are for three years; they used to be two but voters last year changed that through referendum.
Senmartin and Coldiron will be sworn in at the Nov. 10 City Council meeting, which gets under way at 5:30 p.m. at the Marathon Government Center.
Voters also widely rejected a referendum, 1,086 votes (58.45 percent) to 772 (41.55 percent) asking: “Should the city of Marathon prohibit open burning, outdoor burning and refuse burning on residential lots in the city of Marathon by ordinance, subject to certain exemptions listed in such ordinance or expressly authorized by Florida law and with enforcement by any method authorized by law?”
Turnout was 33.18 percent (1,905 ballots cast out of 5,741 registered voters). There were 433 under-votes (11.39 percent), meaning those ballots contained only one vote, and seven over-votes (.18 percent), meaning those ballots contained more than two votes.
