With a couple of exceptions, area voters mostly returned incumbents to office.

In the Brighton City Council race, all incumbents were re-elected. Susan Gardner, Jim Bohn and Shawn Pipoly will all serve four year terms, while current Mayor Jim Muzzin will serve a two-year term. Perennial challenger Susan Backhaus again lost a bid to get onto the council, garnering the lowest vote total of the five candidates. Gardner received the most votes and told WHMI it’s extremely humbling. She says over the past four years, Council has accomplished so many good things in moving the City forward. Gardner says the city manager, council and staff have formed a strong functioning unit that really clicks and are a working and performing team.

Gardner says they now have the pleasure of showing residents that they are going to do what they promised when it comes to the previously passed street millage. She says seeing that plan being put into place with the first major phase of implementation in the coming spring is fantastic. Gardner noted there’s a lot of development going on and it’s a huge responsibility but there’s also a lot of momentum and Council is tackling that as a group. She says the city’s master plan laid out a wonderful plan for development, that with some zoning code changes and zoning changes themselves, are laying out a map for some great new developments the city is already or will be experiencing.

Howell’s City Council race was uncontested with Mayor Nick Proctor being re-elected, along with members Steve Manor, Bob Ellis and Michael Mulvahill.

In the Fenton City Council race, two incumbents were ousted while voters re-elected Mayor Sue Osborn over challenger Cheryl King. Incumbent Pat Lockwood was re-elected and the top vote getter. She’ll be joined on Council by newcomers Sean Sage and Brad Jacob, who replace incumbents Cherie Smith and Nancy Draves.

In the South Lyon City Council race, Mayor Dan Pelchat was easily re-elected to his second term with 1,435 votes over challenger Ryan Lare with 213 votes. There will be at least one new face on Council. Incumbent Margaret Kurtzweil was re-elected along with Steve Kennedy. He was the top vote getter and was earlier appointed to an open seat after a resignation. Both Kurtzweil and Kennedy will be joined by newcomer Lisa Dilg.

Complete local election results can be accessed on the Livingston County Clerk’s webpage. That link is provided. (JM)