MONROE - More than 40 percent of the 1,942 votes cast in the mayoral race Tuesday went to Bill Ross, who previously served as mayor from 1994 to 2006.
"It's a happy day for myself, as well as the city," he said, shortly after the polls closed.
Ross won his eighth term as mayor, after a four-year hiatus from the office, with 808 votes.
Mayor Ron Marsh took third place in the race, with 550 votes, after two terms in office.
Tyler Schultz, in his first time out in city politics, took 582 votes.
Both Ross and Schultz said the results showed that voters wanted something different.
"Citizens wanted a change," Ross said from his home Tuesday night. "It was apparent that the current administration had a military-type control ... and that's unacceptable in a democratic system."
Ross said morale at City Hall was low, and that his approach to government would be "including everybody."
"I felt I needed to step in and (bring) a more open government, with transparency," he said.
Schultz took almost 30 percent of the votes in the mayoral race, a showing that he said was "not too bad."
"People wanted change," he said. "People are tired of the same old politics of the last 16 years. I think I put a change in the atmosphere."
Schultz ran his campaign on the idea of building more jobs for Monroe, especially for its younger citizens, which he believed would alleviate some property tax pressures on its senior citizens.
He suspects he may have gathered support from many of the younger voters.
"I think so, my message resonated with people for taxes and jobs ... but with senior citizens, too," he said.
Schultz said has not decided whether he will make a run for any elected position in the future, but he is not opposed to offering his advice to the next administration.
"If mayor-elect Ross wants my input, he's more than welcome to it," he said.
Marsh finished close behind Schultz with slightly more than 28 percent of the votes.
Marsh, who won the mayoral seat in 2006 as a write-in candidate and ran unopposed in 2008, said he didn't know why voters did not come out for him this time around.
"I can't say why they did or didn't," Marsh said. "I wish him (Ross) the best."
Marsh said he had no plans yet as to how he would serve the city in the future.
"If called upon, I will serve wherever I can," he said.
There were also two write-in votes cast. The vote total is unofficial until the Board of Canvassers approves it today.
"It's a happy day for myself, as well as the city," he said, shortly after the polls closed.
Ross won his eighth term as mayor, after a four-year hiatus from the office, with 808 votes.
Mayor Ron Marsh took third place in the race, with 550 votes, after two terms in office.
Tyler Schultz, in his first time out in city politics, took 582 votes.
Both Ross and Schultz said the results showed that voters wanted something different.
"Citizens wanted a change," Ross said from his home Tuesday night. "It was apparent that the current administration had a military-type control ... and that's unacceptable in a democratic system."
Ross said morale at City Hall was low, and that his approach to government would be "including everybody."
"I felt I needed to step in and (bring) a more open government, with transparency," he said.
Schultz took almost 30 percent of the votes in the mayoral race, a showing that he said was "not too bad."
"People wanted change," he said. "People are tired of the same old politics of the last 16 years. I think I put a change in the atmosphere."
Schultz ran his campaign on the idea of building more jobs for Monroe, especially for its younger citizens, which he believed would alleviate some property tax pressures on its senior citizens.
He suspects he may have gathered support from many of the younger voters.
"I think so, my message resonated with people for taxes and jobs ... but with senior citizens, too," he said.
Schultz said has not decided whether he will make a run for any elected position in the future, but he is not opposed to offering his advice to the next administration.
"If mayor-elect Ross wants my input, he's more than welcome to it," he said.
Marsh finished close behind Schultz with slightly more than 28 percent of the votes.
Marsh, who won the mayoral seat in 2006 as a write-in candidate and ran unopposed in 2008, said he didn't know why voters did not come out for him this time around.
"I can't say why they did or didn't," Marsh said. "I wish him (Ross) the best."
Marsh said he had no plans yet as to how he would serve the city in the future.
"If called upon, I will serve wherever I can," he said.
There were also two write-in votes cast. The vote total is unofficial until the Board of Canvassers approves it today.