Heyeck wins eighth term on Westerville council, joined by Czako Reamsnyder, Blair, Coombs
Westerville City Council will retain its most senior member with incumbent Michael Heyeck winning his eighth term in the Nov. 2 general election.
Joining him will be Megan Czako Reamsnyder, Dennis Blair and Coutanya Coombs, according to unofficial results from the Franklin County and Delaware boards of election.
In Franklin County, Heyeck was the top vote-getter in a field of seven candidates with 4,097 votes, followed by Czako Reamsnyder with 3,210, Blair with 3,158, Mark Faubel with 2,557, Coombs with 2,556, Jean Gebert Powell with 2,207 and Douglas Rankin with 1,641.
Delaware County made the difference for Coombs. With all precincts counted, the results show Heyeck with 1,347 votes, Czako Reamsnyder with 1,025, Blair with 1,009, Coombs with 832, Faubel with 788, Gebert Powell with 720 and Rankin with 544.
With the combined totals in Franklin and Delaware county, Coombs defeated Faubel 3,388 to 3,345, with a 43-vote difference for the fourth available seat on council.
Heyeck, 67, is founder of The Grid Group LLC, where he currently works.
With his eighth term on council Jan. 1, he'll be the longest-serving council member in history.
Heyeck said he’s not about setting records, but no one has gone beyond six terms.
“I love public service, and I love Westerville,” he said. “I’m so happy the citizenship elected me again.”
Since starting as a council member in 1993, he hasn’t respond to roll calls with a "here" or "present.”
Instead, Heyeck gives his signature, "glad to be here."
He said he would continue to advocate for Westerville, a city that's fueled by economic development, and work to continue the city’s excellent services by police, fire and EMS, award-winning parks, trails and recreation and all city services.
He said addressing areas that need redevelopment is very important.
“The future of Westerville depends on the redevelopment, not just the development occurring,” he said. “Our first responders are top notch, and I want to continue to support them. I want to keep Westerville Westerville and keep supporting them.”
Czako Reamsnyder, 34, said she’s so humbled to be elected.
“The response has been amazing since I launched the campaign,” she said. “People really responded to a mother raising two kids. I’ve got to meet so many people, and I’m floored by the amount of people I’ve got to talked to.”
Czako Reamsnyder said she’s excited to continue to be a voice for the residents.
The lifelong Westerville resident has served as a community volunteer in a variety of roles, including being a board member of Uptown Westerville Inc, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the vibrancy and economic stability of the Uptown District, merchants and community.
She’s also a Rotarian, school volunteer and PTA member and sat on the 2020 charter-review commission.
“There’s a lot of great progress happening, and I’m excited to see that move forward,” Czako Reamsnyder said. “I’m so honored; this is amazing.”
Blair, 61, is owner of Blair IT.
He couldn’t be reached for comment after the election.
Blair provided candidate information to ThisWeek prior to the election, saying he wanted to continue serving the community however he could.
“I have a strong interest in planning and economic development, as well as a desire to continue the good stewardship of the current and previous council members,” he said. “I work well in collaborative environments and look forward to furthering the city’s goals and projects with creativity and in partnership with others.”
He has spent over a decade serving the community on many boards and commissions.
In information Blair provided for The Columbus Dispatch's voters guide, Blair said, “I believe my job is to represent all the people of Westerville. If elected, I will continue to keep Westerville safe, beautiful, affordable, and compassionate.”
Coombs, 64, works as a real-estate agent.
“I am humbled to have prevailed in such a tightly contested race,” she said. “The residents of Westerville city have spoken, and I look forward to ensuring they are the true winners. I will serve to the best of my ability and look forward to working together with my colleagues.”
Coombs said she ran for council because she wants to keep the city healthy and prosperous and ensure Westerville's values and 25-year vision are upheld.
Westerville City Manager Monica Irelan said city staff are looking forward to welcoming the three new members.
“I want to congratulate all candidates who ran for Westerville City Council,” she said. “I spent time with each of them individually, and I can say that each has a heart for service for this community.
“I know that both the new and existing members of council would ask the community to stay engaged in the process, particularly by attending or watching public meetings. That is easy to do, with meetings airing live and links to contact members via email. It's all very accessible on the city website: westerville.org.”
Council members Kathy Cocuzzi and Alex Heckman didn’t seek reelection, and the Franklin County Board of Elections decided it wouldn’t reconsider the rejection of council incumbent Valerie Cumming’s petition.
Votes are expected to be certified by the Franklin County Board of Elections by Nov. 23.
mkuhlman@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekMarla
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Westerville council incumbent Michael Heyeck reelected to eighth term
