Fairfield City School District elections (2013)
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Method of election Elections What was at stake? Key deadlines Additional elections External links References |
Fairfield City School District |
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Three seats were up for election on the Fairfield City School Board on November 5, 2013. Michael Berding, Dan Hare and Thomas Y. Heisler defeated Laurence F. Jones III to win the three at-large seats.
About the district
- See also: Fairfield City School District, Ohio
Fairfield is a city located in Butler County in southwestern Ohio. The city's population was 42,510 according to the 2010 U.S. Census.[1]
Demographics
The 2010 U.S. Census found that 24.6% of Fairfield residents over 25 years old held undergraduate degrees compared to a 24.5% rate for the state of Ohio. Fairfield had a median income of $54,581 in 2010 compared to $48,071 for Ohio. The poverty rate for Fairfield was 8.7% in 2010 compared to an 14.8% rate for the rest of the state.[1]
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Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Method of board member selection
The Fairfield School Board consists of five members who are elected at-large to four-year terms. There was no primary election on September 10, 2013 and the general election was held on November 5, 2013. Three seats on the board were up for election in 2013 and two seats were on the ballot on November 3, 2015.[3]
Candidates for the Fairfield School Board had to be at least 18 years old, a resident of the district and not have held city office concurrent to board service. The Butler County Board of Elections required a $30 filing fee as well as at least 75 signatures by the filing deadline on August 7, 2013.[4]
Elections
2013
Candidates
- Michael Berding
- Owner, Midwest Prescription Packaging
- Dan Hare
- Graduate, University of Cincinnati and Xavier University
- Educational consultant
- Thomas Y. Heisler
- Graduate, Rochester Institute of Technology
- IT consultant
- Laurence F. Jones III
- Graduate, University of Cincinnati
- Tax consultant, Brixey & Meyer, Inc.
Election results
| Fairfield City School District, At-large General Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Michael Berding |
33.1% | 8,030 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dan Hare |
26.5% | 6,425 | |
| Nonpartisan | Thomas Y. Heisler |
23.2% | 5,617 | |
| Nonpartisan | Laurence F. Jones III | 17.2% | 4,179 | |
| Total Votes | 24,251 | |||
| Source: Butler County Elections, "Election Summary Report for General Election in Butler County, Ohio," accessed December 13, 2013 | ||||
Campaign finance
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election, according to the Ohio Secretary of State.[5]
Past elections
2011
| Fairfield School Board, At-large, November 8, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Jerome Kearns |
38.3% | 11,569 | |
| Nonpartisan | Balena Shorter |
32.9% | 9,916 | |
| Nonpartisan | Arnold Engel | 28.8% | 8,687 | |
| Total Votes | 30,172 | |||
| Source: Butler County Board of Elections | ||||
What was at stake?
Incumbents Mark Morris, Dan Murray and Don Nuss did not file for re-election in 2013. The race for three board seats featured newcomers Michael Berding, Dan Hare, Thomas Y. Heisler and Laurence F. Jones III.
Issues
Election fraud
In 2011, Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser investigated allegations of election fraud against three school board members. Gmoser's investigation found that local businessman Tom Burer used a political action committee (PAC) called Moms on a Mission to send money to Sharon Ko, Mark Morris and Dan Murray in order to support his business interests. Burer held a $1.5 million contract with the district to provide maintenance services for school buses. Ko resigned and Gmoser did not pursue charges against Morris and Murray. Burer plead guilty to attempted tampering with campaign finance reports[6].
Criminal Activity
In October, Arnold Engel was charged with criminal mischief following an incident that occurred at his home. Area resident David Kozak gathered up several pamphlets and threw them onto Engel's driveway. Engel ran at Kozak's car waving a power drill and kicked the vehicle. In December, Engel was convicted of criminal mischief and ordered to complete an anger management course.[7]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Fairfield School Board elections in 2013:[8]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| August 7, 2013 | Last day to file nominating petitions for local nonpartisan races |
| October 24, 2013 | Filing deadline for pre-election expense reports |
| November 5, 2013 | Election day |
| November 26, 2013 | Certification of election results by county officials |
| December 13, 2013 | Filing deadline for post-election expense reports |
Additional elections on the ballot
The Fairfield School Board shared the ballot with other local and county elections. Residents of Fairfield voted for mayor, municipal judge and three seats on the Fairfield City Council. The ballot also featured three seats on the Butler County Educational Service Center. Fairfield voters also voted against Issue 8, which would have raised the millage rate by 2.62 as part of a bond issue for the district. The bond issue will be back on the ballot in May 2014, and now has a millage of 2.6.[3][9]
See also
- Ohio
- Fairfield City School District, Ohio
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Butler County, Ohio ballot measures
- Financial policies, education standards at stake in November school board elections
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 U.S. Census, "Quick Facts: Fairfield," accessed September 17, 2013
- ↑ Butler County Board of Elections, "Archives," accessed September 17, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Butler County Board of Elections, "November 2013 elections," accessed September 18, 2013
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "2013 Candidate Guide," accessed September 18, 2013
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Elections & Voting: Campaign Finance," accessed December 23, 2013
- ↑ Cincinnati.com, "3 Fairfield school board members implicated," September 8, 2011
- ↑ Journal-News, "Former school board member ordered to anger management," December 16, 2011
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "2013 Election Calendar," accessed September 18, 2013
- ↑ Journal-News, "Fairfield returns bond issue to ballot, gives raises," December 20, 2013
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