Trending
MARTINS FERRY -- Martins Ferry voters elected new council and school board members in Tuesday's general election.
Incumbents James Agnew, Thomas J. Burns and James Schramm faced former councilman Ben Neiman with three council-at-large seats in play. According to unofficial totals provided by the Belmont County Board of Elections, Neiman, Agnew and Schramm won with 719, 685 and 635 votes respectively.
Burns lost the race with 521 votes.
Neiman said he is grateful to be back on council. He previously served on Martins Ferry City Council for two years. He said he worked for the city for many years in various departments including the sanitation department, sewer department and street department. He also worked at the Martins Ferry Liberty Engine Company as a firefighter, captain and first lieutenant.
"I want to thank everybody that voted for me and the people that helped me, who put signs in their yards and the people who put their faith in me," Neiman said. "I'm just happy that I'm back in. A lot needs done in this town to build it back up. I can't wait to get started on this."
Schramm said he wants to thank everyone who voted and showed their support. He said he hopes to work on city finances since the income tax increase proposal failed. He also hopes to get more businesses in Martins Ferry.
"This is my eighth year, and I want to continue to keep the city going," he said.
Schramm has served on the safety committee, street committee and finance committee. He also has 10 years of experience as a volunteer firefighter and worked for 34 years with the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Schramm also said he wanted to welcome Nieman onto council.
Agnew has been a member of city council since mid-March. He also has been serving on the Martins Ferry Board of Education since January 2022.
Agnew said he hopes to make "progress and improvements on all fronts," including in public safety, financial stability, street maintenance and the beautification of Martins Ferry. He said he hopes to improve the city for all residents from youth to senior citizens.
He said city finances are a big concern, and he hopes to continue to work with council and the administration to improve the city's financial situation.
In the Martins Ferry City School District, incumbents Charles Probst and Nick Stankovich and challengers Allen H. Marangoni, Jeremy Shrodes and Bill Suto contended for two seats on the board of education.
According to unofficial election night totals, Probst and Marangoni came out on top.
Here are the unofficial totals:
Probst – 1,099 votes
Marangoni – 733 votes
Stankovich – 699 votes
Shrodes – 539
Suto – 622 votes
Marangoni said he has never held a public office before, but he has a lot of experience working in education. He worked as a professor for 39 years at the former Wheeling Jesuit University and directed the physical therapy and respiratory therapy programs there.
"I'm really excited. I'm happy I got a position on the board," he said.
He said his main focus is academics.
"I hope to see improvements, especially in the high school," he said.
Probst could not be reached by The Times Leader for comment Tuesday.