Granville voters reelect school board, village council incumbents, 1 council newcomer

With development pressures building in Licking County, Granville residents voted in Tuesday's general election for the school board and village council candidates who have led the area through one of the most critical times in the area's history.

For the three seats on the Granville Exempted Village Schools Board of Education, all three incumbents were reelected. Fred Wolf received 3,855 votes, Amy Deeds received 3,465 votes and Ceciel Shaw received 3,239 votes, followed by challenger Megan Reed, who received 3,048 votes, according to final unofficial results from the Licking County Board of Elections.

John Kronk, who was appointed to the board in February to fill the seat vacated by Rana Odeh, was also on the ballot for an unexpired term, but he ran unopposed.

The three Granville Village Council incumbents were all reelected to another term. Laura Mickelson received 1,294 votes, Phillip Demarest got 1,119 votes and Jeremy Johnson got 1,062 votes. The fourth seat went to newcomer Joe Leithauser, who received 1,268 votes. Former council member Matt McGowan was the odd candidate out with 955 votes, according to final unofficial results from the Licking County Board of Elections.

Current Council member Rob Montgomery did not seek reelection.

For both school board and village council, all the seats are four-year terms that run until 2027.

Wolf said Tuesday night that he appreciates the community's support and is excited to return for another term.

"I think I showed people that I'm hardworking and dedicated to our community and our schools, and I think that paid off for me," he said. "They know I'm going to work hard for the schools and for our kids."

Shaw said Wednesday morning she's excited to continue fostering a strong public education system in Granville. She said that while talking to voters during the campaign, they expressed an appreciation strong leadership throughout the past four years, especially when there has been conflict or division, such as dealing with COVID-19.

"I think people really appreciated the fact that leadership was consistent, was clear, was agreeable," she said. "When we personally on the board had different opinions, we could have those discussions reasonably,"

Leithauser, the only village council candidate without any previous experience, said he was struck by the broad base of support he received.

"It wasn't just one group here, one group there. It was really a pretty broad collection of residents, and I'm just glad to be able to work with existing council members and Laura, Phill and Jeremy," he said. "We all understand growth is coming, and we want to work together to manage it so we can kind of keep the great things about Granville and absorb the growth that's coming from the west."

Demarest said Wednesday morning he's glad to be reelected so he and other council members can continue working on two major issues in Granville: establishing a joint economic development district with Granville Township and protecting the area's water resources after The New Albany Co. purchased a 106-acre parcel in Granville Township that could potentially be used for wells.

Concerns over water resources dominated his conversations with voters, Demarest said.

"Frankly, I shared a lot of those concerns, even from the outset, but hearing more of the diverse concerns from residents helped shape my perspective on that and has only made me even more determined to find ways to protect our resources in the village," he said.

Mickelson said Wednesday morning that with growth coming Granville's way, there is a push to make sure the village does so sustainably while protecting the area's nature resources.

She also said she was impressed by the turnout, which countywide reached nearly 50%, according to the board of elections.

"I'm just thankful that people got out and voted," said Mickelson, a lifetime Granville resident. "They did their civic duty and did what they needed to do, and I'm just humbled that they support me and trust me. I'll do my best for them."

Deeds and Johnson could not be reached by Wednesday morning.

Deeds, 66, told The Advocate in October that she was running because the district is facing the most critical period in her tenure with the district.

"My years of experience as a board member and deep roots in the community — I am a fifth-generation resident — make me well-prepared to navigate the challenges our district and community are facing with the advent of Intel and its offshoots," she said.

Johnson, 46, told The Advocate in October that during his three terms on council, his motivation has always been to serve the Granville community.

"During my 12 years of service on council, I believe I have demonstrated thoughtful leadership, active listening and careful, collaborative deliberation on difficult issues, which provide me with the foundation to continue to lead the village during the next four years of opportunities," he said.

mdevito@gannett.com

740-607-2175

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Ohio elections: Granville school board, village council incumbents win