Darien recount yields no changes
DARIEN — A Thursday recount of ballots cast in Tuesday's primary in the race for village board trustee did not change the results.
"They are unchanged from the Feb. 17 spring primary numbers," said Marc Dennison, village administrator/clerk-treasurer.
Candidate Helen Burton, 310 N. Cavanaugh, filed a petition for recount Wednesday afternoon. Burton, a special education teacher for the Janesville School District, lost the chance to move on to the general election by two votes.
Burton on Tuesday earned 53 votes. That was two less than candidate Cindy Holmes, 30 E. Beloit St., Darien, who took sixth place.
Burton said today she is satisfied with the recount.
"The recount stands as is, and I am OK with that," she wrote in an e-mail.
The village Thursday night recounted the votes in the eight-way primary. The top six vote getters are to move on to fight for three seats on the board in April.
"After they were hand counted as well as matched up with both poll book numbers, then the ballots were fed into the (voting) machine and the printout came out exactly as they were in the Feb. 17 primary," Dennison said.
Here's how the vote broke down Tuesday: incumbent Craig McCue, 94 votes; incumbent Phil Putman, 85 votes; Cheryl Kaufenberg, 80 votes; Debi Olmstead, 72 votes; incumbent Allen Kenyon, 58 votes; Holmes, 55 votes; Burton, 53 votes; and Joel Gauer, 50 votes.
Burton said she wanted a recount in part because the voting machine's memory card failed briefly Tuesday morning. The card was "redownloaded" and voting continued, Walworth County Clerk Kim Bushey said.
The situation is not uncommon, she said. While the memory card was down, voters placed ballots in a locked portion of the machine, she said.
The job for the board of canvass is to re-create the election, said Diane Lowe, lead elections specialist with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.
The board of canvass, made up of five village residents, is expected to go over the ballots and the poll lists to make sure the numbers jibe, Lowe said.
Then board members scan the ballots back through the voting machine. If board members can see that a ballot was filled in incorrectly, board members will correctly mark a fresh ballot with the voter's intent and scan it into the machine, Lowe said.
The election was a hands-on learning experience for Dennison. The Tuesday primary was the first election Dennison, 37, has run in his career as a public administrator.
His first day in Darien was Dec. 1.
The recount is yet another out-of-the-ordinary activity in the politically charged village.
The village board will meet in closed session Wednesday to learn the results of an investigation of the village police chief. The chief was suspended Dec. 1 after village employees found surveillance cameras hidden in the department.
Officials also have been struggling with a looming cash shortage in the sewer fund.
Feb 26, 2009 at 6:24 p.m.
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look in the mirror and you will see a nothing .
Just a mouth that is afraid to face The ones he talks bad about.People with no back always stick together like bugs.Are you metzner B.to. That thunder is for you.Don!t call the cops if your house gets struck by lighting, They might be helping someone who belive in them.
Feb 26, 2009 at 5:42 p.m.
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dr1fever
Keep at it--you make these worth reading
Feb 26, 2009 at 11:59 a.m.
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play nice kids
Feb 26, 2009 at 9:41 a.m.
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Once again dr1fever come out of the dark tell williepeter that face to face.Bunch of panty wast. I know who he is and he is not a jar head. Mybe metzner and Mrs K told you to say that.
Feb 21, 2009 at 4:14 p.m.
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THANK YOU CORNCHILD!
Feb 20, 2009 at 8:36 p.m.
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Dennison didn't suspend the chief. The board did it in an emergency meeting. Denison was told by his new employers what to do with that situation, and he simply complied. And I didn't know the chief was in charge of right and wrong in Darien. I'd go to Pastor Paul if I need moral guidance.
Feb 20, 2009 at 7:09 p.m.
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lifeisawheel-
Excellent points. The budget and the sewer are huge issues here, but the IMMEDIATE issue is the police chief's situuation. Why everyone seems to think this is 'normal' is beyond me. I never heard of such a strange 'removal' and 'investigation anywhere before.
Somethings rotten in Darien.
Feb 20, 2009 at 5:56 p.m.
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Responsible citizen
I agree. How can people speak ill of someone without ever meeting them. You stick up for Dennison. How on earth is it possible for Dennison to start on Dec 1 and then immediately suspend the Chief without ever talking with him or getting his side of the story? Yah sure, while you're paying your water bill, make sure you tell Dennison what a fantastic job he did with that - nothing like making it look like you were bought and paid for before you even start. And YES, I have done my homework and this is FACT. Dennison never even spoke with Chief DeVoy to get his side. Why should he? Chief is only in charge of right/wrong, law and order in this village. Gimme a break.
Feb 20, 2009 at 5:29 p.m.
Feb 20, 2009 at 4:45 p.m.
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Marc Dennison is ANYTHING but effective.. He is so inept! The way he raises his voice to the village residents that dare "question him" is uncalled for. He treats current board members like they are uneducated, and that he is better than them.. He needs to learn that a piece of paper from college doesn't make you good..common sense and respect and humility go a long way..
Feb 20, 2009 at 1:59 p.m.
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ResponsibleCitizen
Thank you! A reasonable voice! I try to be reasonable myself, but sometime I veer off course.
However the elction turns out, the next board will have the current budget mess to deal with. It would be easy to point fingers at the Village Hall employees. The board already has frozen salaries for the three non-union employees, and I have heard candidates talking about cutting staff, even though the Village Hall only accounts for 8 percent of the overall budget. I have talked to Marc Dennison - he is working to become an expert on running the Village of Darien, for which there is no training but experience doing the job. I am concerned that the next board won't give him the chance to get that experience or develop the contacts needed to be an effective administrator. Right now he's probably very busy handling extraordinary events like the Chief DeVoy situation and the election, but he and his staff of 1.5 still have the daily business of the Village Hall to handle.
Since I've lived here I've experienced a great level of service from the village - roads are plowed in the winter, parks are maintained, when I needed my water shut off for plumbing work the DPW person showed up on time, etc. I wonder how many others appreciate what a nice place Darien is for a family, even if we pay too much for water.
Feb 20, 2009 at 12:44 p.m.
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Some of the people who read these articles continue to trash talk people who are involved with the elections. People also bring ideas out of the air on how the elections could have been rigged...Do you honestly believe that people would do such a serious crime in an attempt at being a trustee. I Do not agree with our current village government or how it is run, however FIND THE FACTS before you throw stones. I have witnessed some disgusting behavior on multiple parties involved with the political garbage in Darien and am appalled. Grow up and do your homework before you accuse anyone of anything...How can people talk ill of someone or their intentions without ever meeting them or talking to them. I honestly believe that ALL parties running / campaigning for a spot on our board are doing so with their own best interest in mind. The common goal needs to be getting our village out of the mess that it is in. Mr. Dennison has been working very hard at his job and receives little thanks. You people that knock him for how he handles things have no Idea the responsibilities he holds. He deserves a little more gratitude for the job he holds...when you see him or pay your water / tax bill let him know that he's doing a good job...Thank him after all he IS a resident as well.
Feb 20, 2009 at 10:36 a.m.
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DebiO
Tell us how the good old boys worked this one
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