Politics & Government

UPDATED: Dane Slater Wins Race for Troy Mayor

Slater will continue through 2015.

Incumbent Dane Slater got a mandate from voters Tuesday night that he is the man to lead Troy into the future, officially closing the chapter of the mayor who preceded him.

Slater, who was appointed on Nov. 26 following the Nov. 7 ouster of Mayor Janice Daniels, said he was eager to get to work on city business following the victory party on Tuesday night where he was joined by dozens of campaign supporters at Joe Kool's.

"I think the people you see in this room are Troy residents who felt the same way that the majority of the voters did, and that's that we didn't need to change for the sake of change," said Slater, who was first appointed to the council in 2009.

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"It's been an honor to work with the team I've worked with, who were able to put together a three-year plan that was never done before which was helped the city. I reap the benefits of that work and I want to continue that plan, to make sure everything comes together."

Slater topped a six-person field with 50.39 percent of the vote, or 6,393 votes overall. Marty Knollenberg, who was Slater's closest competition by a wide margin, registered 44.88 percent of the vote, or 5,820 votes overall.

Find out what's happening in Troywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Scott T. Welborn (1.69 percent), David Elsas (1.34 percent), Faris Alami (.60 percent), and Jon Desjardins (.09 percent) rounded out the field.

Back to work

Councilmember Maureen McGinnis echoed Slater's sentiment that following the Daniels recall campaign, that the city council could benefit from a "sense of finality" and benefit from Slater's previous experience as the appointed Mayor.

"We're all eager to get back to work, so I'm very happy with the results tonight," she said. "For example, we're looking at approving the city budget on-time, in the next two meetings. That's something which the Mayor has already worked in budget sessions to help do, and the results tonight will make that a smoother ride."

Slater admitted that while seeing "dirty election tactics" aimed towards his campaign, some of which discussed on Patch Local Voices, are nothing new following his 2009 election, that he was caught by surprise by this year's race and that he learned something new.

"I think now that I'm elected that there needs to be change and I want to help lead that change, by reaching out to some of these people who think that I'm someone who I'm not, and showing them that they are wrong," he said.

Following the results at home in Troy with family, Knollenberg said that he ran his campaign without regret.

"We ran a positive campaign to provide the voters with a choice," he said. "I put myself on the line and provided an alternative to lead the city. ... I think we needed a change. I think a lot of people felt we needed a change. And (Slater) is going to have a lot of work to do in unifying the community in order to be successful."

Knollenberg added that while he wished Slater and the city council the best moving on, he was unable to answer the question of where he fit into the political landscape moving forward.

"I think now that this is done, it's time to recharge the batteries," he said. "I look forward to spending time with my wife, and working on my business operation in Troy, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds."

The voter turnout rate came to about 22 percent, reports Troy City Clerk Aileen Bittner. Of 58,256 registered voters, 12,686 voted via absentee ballots or turned out to the polls.

"We had a little bit of the rush in the afternoon which picked up our numbers overall," Bittner said. "From our end, the transmissions worked fantastically. We had no problems throughout the day and I was able to visit all of the precincts. It worked out well."

More election results

Here's what happened at the polls in nearby Patch communities:

BERKLEY

Voters OK Berkley School District Millage Renewal Requests

The proposals asked voters to renew the general operating fund and sinking fund millages, which will not increase residents' tax rate.

WEST BLOOMFIELD

Voters Narrowly Approve West Bloomfield Schools Sinking Fund Millage

While election results are unofficial, Oakland County's elections website reports millage supporters score a 190-vote victory.

WYANDOTTE

Two Newcomers Win Seats on Wyandotte City Council

A recount could be requested as seven votes separate a winning candidate from a losing candidate in the hotly contested City Council race.

Live blog

Here's a look at what happened throughout the day in Troy Tuesday:

Update: 12:54 p.m.

As some voters hit the polls during their lunch time away from work, progress reports were made to media as to voter turnout in Troy.

"All's quiet in Oakland County," said County Elections Director Joe Rozell, both in reference to a soft voter turnout as well as complications at the polls. "Based on (absentee ballot) return rate and what we're hearing from the polls, it's looking like a 12-15 percent rate in Troy."

Of about 6,100 absentee ballots which were sent away in Troy, about 5,200 were returned with votes, according to Rozell, however, participation at the polls appeared much more scattered.

Greg Wullaert, 27, of Troy, said he was surprised to be merely No. 185 voting at precincts 17 and 20 in St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church around 12 p.m.

"I remember in the recall election, the precincts were separated, but now they're combined. It's too bad, because I'm not sure if we'll really get the Mayor who is going to be the best for Troy if nobody comes out to vote," he said.

Wullaert added that he supported Marty Knollenberg largely on the strength of the former State House Representative's previous experience in politics.

Update: 10:50 a.m.

Campaigners and voters report no waiting times at precincts in Woodside Bible Church and Bethesda Romanian Pentecostal Church, the latter of which was where Kelly Jones cast her ballot this morning.

"No. 39," Jones said while pointing to a sticker on her Hill Elementary School t-shirt. "I can't say I'm surprised to see so few people, but I'd feel better to see more here."

Jones speculated that while "negative" tactics from the Troy Mayoral election candidates' campaigns may have turned off some voters entirely, they only helped to cement her own choice.

"I tuned out to the election myself because I had decided who I was going to vote for very early in the campaign. ... I supported the recall election and I think that since then, city council has seemed positive and worked to get things done."

At precincts 3 and 12, located at Woodside, Marty Knollenberg campaigner Terry Roberts spoke passionately in support of "the candidate with the experience to restore Troy."

"I've been a Troy resident for 42 years and a small business owner here since 1981 and when I heard Marty was running, I asked him what I could do to help," Roberts said. "He didn't even know me, but I know him from his experience on both sides of the bargaining table."

Roberts added that the Troy Transit Center was a driving force behind his support for change on the city council: "I didn't think we needed that. I don't think that Marty thinks we need that. But, now that we have it under construction, I think Marty is the man to see it through."

Update: 7:59 a.m.

For Dane Slater campaigner Pamela Epple of Troy, getting involved in this year's election was as simple as going home.

The 33-year Troy resident was parked, bright and early at the Troy Community Center Tuesday as polls opened at 7 a.m., with a cup of coffee in one hand and a sign of support in the other.

"When you get involved in your community, it creates a sense of ownership and when the city is moving up, it feels very special," said Epple, a microbiologist at Beaumont Hospital in Troy. "Hopefully the election results will let us continue to move in the right direction."

"I feel like I don't really know where the Mayor stands as far as being partisan is concerned, and that's a very good thing in this non-partisan election." 

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