MONROE - Monroe residents voted overwhelmingly for change in Tuesday's election, trouncing incumbents for four city council seats. As a result, the city will see five new council members starting April 19.
In Ward 6, two new candidates vied for the seat left empty by long-time alderman Keith Ingwell. Sara Conway gathered 134 votes to defeat Dr. David Riese, who took 87 votes.
Brooke Bauman beat incumbent Paul Hannes to win the Ward 2 spot, 194 to 119.
In Ward 9, Chris Beer took 125 votes to push out incumbent Kent Kallembach, who garnered 72 votes.
Tyler Schultz drew 169 votes to win the Ward 10 seat, unseating incumbent Charles Schuringa, who took 89 votes.
Incumbent Jan Lefevre, seeking a fourth term in Ward 4, and Reid Stangel, taking over Dan Henke's seat in Ward 8, were unchallenged. Henke did not seek re-election. Lefevre received 230 votes, and Stangel took home 292 votes in their respective wards.
Overall voter turnout in the city was about 50 percent. About 100 new voters registered, bringing the total number of votes to about 5,680. More than 2,860 voters showed up at the polls.
Bauman was very pleased with voter turnout, and believes it reflects a citizenry looking for change in local government. There also appears to be something of a youth movement to Tuesday's results.
"Over 60 percent (of the city population) is part of the working group, ages 19 to 65," she said Tuesday night. "It represents more of those. Younger people want to be represented."
Bauman, 34, and Sara Conway, 33, graduated together from Monroe High School in 1995, and Tyler Schultz just turned 27.
Bauman also said a recent council vote to secure a mortgage for its city administrator was a factor in getting enough votes to get "over the top" and secure victories for challengers.
"People are tired of no new businesses coming in and with everyone (on the council) stuck together," she said.
"There are so many new people on the council, there will be no more alliances," she said. "They will be speaking their minds. It'll be a nice change."
Schultz believes the vote gap in all wards shows voters "expressing a need for change, transparency and accountability," and was helped by the large population of seniors putting their trust in the younger people.
"It was all across the board," he said. "It's a bold statement when all the incumbents are defeated."
Schultz said the boldness in voters' decisions Tuesday is a call for the city to take a different direction.
" ...and different leadership - not rubber stamping," he added.
If there is any question that voters want a change - and that the issue is not about age - Chris Beer is the answer.
At age 49, she is a first-time office holder, also, and beat out Kent Kallembach, who is younger than she is.
"It's time to bring a fresh perspective," she said. "People want a change and they don't want to see thing going the way they have been."
Beer believes the wide turnover in council members was based on financial difficulties among so many city residents.
"Reactions to the city's recent actions (on the mortgage guarantee) contributed to a lot of it," she said. "People are fed up. I don't think it was anything we did differently (in campaigning) than our opponents."
The changes coming may be different than any the city has seen, he added.
"We'll see a big push for more progress - in expanding business, growing jobs and in budgeting," Schultz said.
Bauman said one of her first priorities is to open communication between the city council, department heads and citizens, and to use more technology in accomplishing that communication.
"Communication is huge," she said.
In Ward 6, two new candidates vied for the seat left empty by long-time alderman Keith Ingwell. Sara Conway gathered 134 votes to defeat Dr. David Riese, who took 87 votes.
Brooke Bauman beat incumbent Paul Hannes to win the Ward 2 spot, 194 to 119.
In Ward 9, Chris Beer took 125 votes to push out incumbent Kent Kallembach, who garnered 72 votes.
Tyler Schultz drew 169 votes to win the Ward 10 seat, unseating incumbent Charles Schuringa, who took 89 votes.
Incumbent Jan Lefevre, seeking a fourth term in Ward 4, and Reid Stangel, taking over Dan Henke's seat in Ward 8, were unchallenged. Henke did not seek re-election. Lefevre received 230 votes, and Stangel took home 292 votes in their respective wards.
Overall voter turnout in the city was about 50 percent. About 100 new voters registered, bringing the total number of votes to about 5,680. More than 2,860 voters showed up at the polls.
Bauman was very pleased with voter turnout, and believes it reflects a citizenry looking for change in local government. There also appears to be something of a youth movement to Tuesday's results.
"Over 60 percent (of the city population) is part of the working group, ages 19 to 65," she said Tuesday night. "It represents more of those. Younger people want to be represented."
Bauman, 34, and Sara Conway, 33, graduated together from Monroe High School in 1995, and Tyler Schultz just turned 27.
Bauman also said a recent council vote to secure a mortgage for its city administrator was a factor in getting enough votes to get "over the top" and secure victories for challengers.
"People are tired of no new businesses coming in and with everyone (on the council) stuck together," she said.
"There are so many new people on the council, there will be no more alliances," she said. "They will be speaking their minds. It'll be a nice change."
Schultz believes the vote gap in all wards shows voters "expressing a need for change, transparency and accountability," and was helped by the large population of seniors putting their trust in the younger people.
"It was all across the board," he said. "It's a bold statement when all the incumbents are defeated."
Schultz said the boldness in voters' decisions Tuesday is a call for the city to take a different direction.
" ...and different leadership - not rubber stamping," he added.
If there is any question that voters want a change - and that the issue is not about age - Chris Beer is the answer.
At age 49, she is a first-time office holder, also, and beat out Kent Kallembach, who is younger than she is.
"It's time to bring a fresh perspective," she said. "People want a change and they don't want to see thing going the way they have been."
Beer believes the wide turnover in council members was based on financial difficulties among so many city residents.
"Reactions to the city's recent actions (on the mortgage guarantee) contributed to a lot of it," she said. "People are fed up. I don't think it was anything we did differently (in campaigning) than our opponents."
The changes coming may be different than any the city has seen, he added.
"We'll see a big push for more progress - in expanding business, growing jobs and in budgeting," Schultz said.
Bauman said one of her first priorities is to open communication between the city council, department heads and citizens, and to use more technology in accomplishing that communication.
"Communication is huge," she said.