GALION — City of Galion elected officials took the oath of office prior to Tuesday evening’s regular city council meeting, which was the final meeting of 2021.
Crawford County Common Pleas Judge Sean E. Leuthold administered the oath to city council members Ken Bodkins (1st Ward), Aaron Ivy (2nd Ward), Mike Richart (3rd Ward), Carrie Zeger (4th Ward), and At-large members Kara Ault, Paula Durbin, and Thomas Fellner, as well as Council President Carl W. Watt, Mayor Tom O’Leary, Law Director Thomas Palmer, and Auditor Brian Saterfield.
Zeger and Durbin are the newest members of Galion City Council. They were both elected to their respective offices during the November 2021 general election. Zeger will take the place of Tammy Siclair-Erlsten and Durbin replaces Mark Triplett, both of whom chose not to seek reelection.
Bodkins won a coin flip tiebreaker to regain his seat on city council after finishing in a tie with challenger Chad Miller. Ivy and Richart both ran without opposition in their respective elections. Zeger also ran with no opposition in the race for the 4th Ward seat on city council.
Ault, Durbin, and Fellner were to the top vote-getters in a four-person race for the three At-large seats on city council.
Watt, O’Leary, and Saterfield each ran without opposition in the general election. Saterfield replaces Gail Baldinger as the city auditor after Baldinger chose not to seek reelection.
Palmer won a third term as law director in the November 2021 general election.
Prior to administering the oath of office to each elected official, Leuthold reminded them of their obligation to serve all citizens of Galion and not just those who supported them in the election. He also noted that as local government officials, they have a solemn responsibility to seek the greater good of the entire community.
Watt thanked Erlsten and Triplett for their service to the city as members of city council.
“At this time, I’d like to thank Tammy and Mark for all the years of dedication they’ve had here,” Watt said. “It’s been a good ride. We’ll miss both of you.”
Palmer also expressed his gratitude to Erlsten, Triplett, and Baldinger for their service to the community as members of city council and for Baldinger’s time as auditor for the past year.
“I don’t want to steal anybody’s thunder, but I do want to share personal words of thanks to Ms. Erlsten and Mr. Triplett and Mr. Baldinger for your service to the city,” Palmer said.
Erlsten noted that she will miss serving on city council.
“I am really sad to leave,” Erlsten said. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to work with everyone and I think we have a really great group of people to work together with. I’m going to miss seeing you guys on Tuesdays.”
For Triplett, Tuesday’s meeting marked the end of a career as a city employee and city elected official that spanned some 35 years.
“It’s been a pleasure to serve the City of Galion for 35-plus years,” Triplett said. “Good luck to y’all. Make the right decisions.”
Triplett made the motion to adjourn the meeting with a second from Erlsten.
Meeting schedule for January 2022
Following is the meeting schedule for Galion City Council in January 2022. The new year will kick off for the full council with a reorganizational meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 5.
Tuesday, Jan. 4 — Laws, Ordinances, Zoning, and Permits Committee, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 5 — City Council Reorganizational Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 5 — Utilities Committee, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 11 — City Council Regular Meeting, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 12 — Parks and Recreation Committee, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 13 — Streets, Alleys, Trees, and Bridges Committee, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 18 — Economic Development and Airport Committee, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 19 — Finance Committee, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 20 — Police, Fire, and Health Committee, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 25 — City Council Regular Meeting, 7 p.m.
All Galion City Council regular meetings and committee meetings are conducted in Council Chambers at the Municipal Building, 301 Harding Way East. For information, go to the city’s website galion.city or contact the clerk of council at 419-468-9557. The meetings are livestreamed on The City of Galion Facebook page.
