Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
AS THE clock strikes 9, Joe Pinardi, on the left, and Paul Mullard sat next to each other, watching and waiting for the recount in Hurley city hall Friday morning. Mullard was confirmed the winner, 185-184, the same vote as recorded on April 3.
By IAN MINIELLY
Hurley - April 3 election results had Paul Mullard besting incumbent Hurley Mayor Joe Pinardi 185 to 184 and Friday morning's recount confirmed the totals.
Mullard will take office Tuesday during a 4:30 p.m. reorganizational meeting at city hall.
Kathleen Byrns, deputy clerk and treasurer for the city, directed June Calvetti and Kathy Osterman in recount procedures while Stacey Wiercinski, city clerk, recorded the votes.
The two men agreed when it came time to look at the machine votes and counts, if the machine results for ward one, the largest ward, were accurate, they would both accept vote totals of the other three machines without forcing their counting.
Ward one had 21 absentee ballots, 95 machine-based ballots and 26 paper ballots. Osterman and Calvetti confirmed those numbers on the paperwork. Byrns confirmed the seal holding the election bag and then removed the ballots.
According to the Wisconsin Election Observers Rules-at-a-Glance handout, people are allowed to observe recounts, including the candidates and their counsel, if they have any. Neither Mullard nor Pinardi brought counsel with them, in fact they sat next to each other and were cordial during the proceedings.
When the results were confirmed, Mullard and Pinardi shook hands and went about their business, according to Osterman.
County officials previously said the votes had been counted in Hurley three times on election night because of the closeness of the race.
Mullard formerly served as mayor of Hurley.
Ironically, Pinardi was re-elected to the county board, while Mullard was defeated by Jay Aijala, who also sits on the Hurley City Council.
