Bainbridge challengers sweep incumbents

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

BAINBRIDGE — An entirely new set of elected officials will be in charge in Bainbridge in a little less than two months.

Voters in the town spoke on Tuesday, electing new town council members Robert Hensley, Jeff Kiger and Brent Foltz, along with new clerk-treasurer Bobbi Boller.

Boller topped incumbent Monica Bray by a 141-109 margin.

Meanwhile, Hensley was the top vote-getter in a nine-way race for three council seats with 129 votes. Kiger was close behind with 122, joined by Brent Foltz with 98 votes.

Incumbent Councilmen Joel Thompson (76 votes) and Jerry Lents (54) finished a distant fifth and seventh, respectively. Current Councilman Scott Curran was not seeking another term.

Others receiving votes included J.C. Mandeville (82), Rodney Fenwick (57), Bonnie Osborn (50) and Raymond Curran (42).

The highly-contested council race seems to have energized citizens, with 49 percent of registered voters (252 of 511) in the town casting ballots, a high number for a municipal election. Of these, 219 ballots were cast on Tuesday, 24 more via paper absentee and nine walk-in early votes at the Putnam County Courthouse.

The 49-percent voter turnout in Bainbridge (and therefore the Monroe East precinct) was by far the most for any Putnam County municipality or precinct on Tuesday. Throughout the county, just 22 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in their respective elections.

Both Kiger and Foltz said they are looking forward to serving the town, though they know the job is not an easy one.

“It’s very humbling. I appreciate the votes,” Kiger said. “I know it takes a lot of work to be on the board. I appreciate all the candidates and their interest in those three positions. I know they have, in their minds, the town’s best interests at heart.”

“I’m looking forward to serving the town,” Foltz said. “There’s a lot for me to learn in doing so.”

Neither Hensley nor Boller could be reached for comment on Tuesday.