Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Marathon Mayor Mike Cinque and political newcomer Richard Keating took home the two seats that were up for grabs in Tuesday's Marathon City Council election.

Cinque received the most votes of the night with 862, good for nearly 26 percent of the total. Keating came in second with 788 votes, which accounted for about 23 percent of the total. Keating's second-place finish knocks Marathon Vice Mayor Don Vasil off the board. Vasil finished third with 743 votes.

"I think the people are happy with what I have been doing," Cinque said at his victory party. "I'm humbled."

Cinque will now enter his second term in office. He was first elected to the board in 2007.

Speaking at his victory party, Keating said he knew his first foray into the political scene would be a challenging one.

"I knew it was going to be a tough race," Keating said. "I'm very excited for everyone who supported me."

Vasil, who was also at the end of his first term in office, said he enjoyed his time on the City Council.

"It has been an honor and a privilege," Vasil said. "I did my best for the citizens of Marathon."

Rounding out the rest of the field was John Bartus, a former City Council member, who finished in fourth place with 629 votes, perennial candidate Joan "Bicycle Joanie" Nelson in fifth place with 209 votes and political newcomer Kevin Kenney sixth with 94 votes.

Nearly 30 percent of the city's 5,995 voters turned out for the election, which was the only item on the Marathon ballot.

Next year the other three seats on the five-member Marathon City Council will be up for grabs. Those are currently held by Dick Ramsay, Pete Worthington and Ginger Snead.

The newly seated board's first task at the Nov. 10 council meeting will be choosing its mayor and vice mayor. In the city of Marathon, the council chooses who holds those seats, but the mayor and vice mayor designation holds no additional authority over the rest of the board.

Marathon council members are elected to two-year terms that pay an annual salary of $18,000. Council members can serve up to three consecutive two-year terms.

rbusweiler@keysnews.com