BATH, Maine — James Omo and Kyle Rogers were unseated from City Council in recent elections but secured enough votes Tuesday to return.
Meanwhile, voters approved four of six proposed amendments to the city charter.
They defeated amendments that would have allowed the city manager to live outside Bath and would have exempted revenues from the municipal expenditure cap that are obtained and used for project expenses connected to a tax increment financing district.
Omo of North Street defeated incumbent Councilor Sean Paulhus of Middle Street, 1,614 to 1,522, in the race for the at-large seat vacated by Councilor Andrew Winglass.
Omo said by email Wednesday morning he looks forward to working with city councilors and staff and is excited about Bath’s future.
Paulhus had another year left in his Ward 2 term but said in September he would “like the opportunity to represent all the people of Bath on the City Council and continue to serve the people in my ward.”
Paulhus was elected in 2008 to fill the final year of an unexpired council term. He has been re-elected twice, without opposition.
Omo runs Omo Construction and served two terms on the council, from 2005-11, before he was unseated by Meadow Rue Merrill in Ward 1.
He serves on the board of the Bath Youth Meetinghouse and Skatepark, and has been on the South End Park and Waterfront Park committees, the Sagadahoc County Budget Committee and Bath’s Solid Waste and Recycling Committee and the Facilities, Lighting and Parking committees.
Omo also was the council representative to Bath’s school board before the city joined Regional School Unit 1.
Rogers, who served two terms on the City Council from 2006-12 before being unseated by Carolyn Lockwood, defeated Peter Blachly, 231-154, for the Ward 3 seat. Lockwood vacated that seat in August to avoid a potential conflict of interest with her new job as director of Main Street Bath.
Rogers said by email Wednesday he wanted to thank the Ward 3 citizens for “braving the long lines at the polls yesterday. I want to congratulate my opponent for his willingness to run. It is very important to have citizens willing to step to the plate and run for office.”
Rogers works for the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Shipbuilding as a resource management assistant. He also is a former real estate agent and retired in 2002 after two decades in the U.S. Navy.
Rogers has been president of the Merrymeeting Board of Realtors. His other involvements include the Bath Economic Development and Community Development Block Grant committees, as well as the Midcoast Council of Governments, Sagadahoc County Communications Center board of directors, and the Mid Coast Business Development and Planning groups.
Susan Bauer of Dummer Street was the only candidate in Ward 6, which Councilor David Sinclair left to run for district attorney, and received 391 votes.
Gregory Page of Washington Street also ran uncontested in Ward 1 to replace Merrill and received 420 votes.
The four charter amendments that passed will:
— Change the time of the council’s annual organizational meeting, held in December, from 7:30 p.m. to the usual 6 p.m. start time of other meetings.
— Allow notification of special meetings to be sent to councilors by email with verification of receipt.
— Permit alternate ward clerks and wardens to serve at elections when the usual appointees are unavailable.
— And bring city elections with write-in candidates in line with Maine law, eliminating a requirement for tallying such candidates in most situations.
RSU 1
There were no contests this year in elections for the Regional School Unit 1 Board of Directors.
Jennifer Ritch-Smith of Woolwich received 395 votes in District 1 post (Bath and Woolwich), Chairman Tim Harkins of Arrowsic had 208 votes for District 3 (Arrowsic, Bath and Woolwich), and Bill Perkins of Phippsburg in District 7 (Bath and Phippsburg) had 300 votes.
No one submitted papers for the District 2 seat (Bath and West Bath) held by David Barber of Bath, who did not seek re-election. The representative for that district may be elected by write-in votes. Megan Fuller received 17 write-in votes, and Judith Dillion got 13.