Voters reject district income tax, shake up school board ballot

MILFORD — Voter turnout more than doubled in Tuesday’s Primary Elections with 7,619 Pike County citizens pulling the lever, or more appropriately, pushing the button. The Act 1 school income tax referendum was one of the main motivators and was defeated by a wide margin n 3,453 to 418. Challenger Sharon Schroeder defeated incumbent Lynn Murcko in the Republican race for Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills. She will face Democrat Andrea Filone in the fall. Steven Guccini and Greg Chelak each won a party nod and will face each other in the fall race for Judge in the Court of Common Pleas. Incumbents Harry Forbes and Richard Caridi easily beat off challenger Mary Ann Hubbard in the Republican commissioners race. With only a handful of government slots contested, most attention was on the school elections. It was a good night for Taxpayers United. The group’s three candidates, Diane French, John Kupillas and John Wladar, all gained at least one ballot slot and French led all candidates on both party lines. Incumbent school board member Frank Colletta won a Democratic slot, while Sue Casey and John Wroblewski won two-party endorsements. John Fisher and Bell Hodges Smith lost their primary races. The split leaves Colletta and Sue Schor as winners on the Democratic side, to face Kupillas and Wladar on the Republican line. This was the third election conducted on the county’s electronic voting machines, which, according to Yolanda Goldsack of the Pike County Election Office, experienced no malfunctions. Despite the technology, the last of the primary returns, those from Dingman Township’s two precincts, were not posted until after 3 a.m. Wednesday morning. Some voters commented that the machines are too complicated and seem to take more time than the old process. “I was confused … it didn’t seem right,” commented Bob Nied of Dingman Township after his voting experience. “It was simpler before,” he added. “I liked the old system better,” agreed Gloria Grezesik. Garrett Sacken, a younger voter, said, “The volunteers do a great job; it was simple and easy.” Despite the 15-20 minute wait in the hot weather, Dan Kennedy of Dingman Township cast his first-ever vote in an election and commented, “It was well worth it to have my voice heard.” He said his experience went without a hitch. Goldsack commented that she thinks the older voters in the county are not disadvantaged by the new voting machines and that they are starting to get used to them. The elections office received no complaints, and no complications were reported. For more county and local election results turn to page 21.