With a merger between the Village of Alexandria and St. Albans Township on the ballot, voting in Alexandria will function a little differently this year.
Village of Alexandria residents will vote for candidates on two different potential councils– Alexandria Village Council and council of the proposed merger conditions. They will also have the opportunity to vote on a proposed merger between the village of Alexandria and St. Albans Township. Depending on the outcome of the merger vote, one set of the potential candidates will take office.
If the merger passes, then the elected mayor and the elected Village Council of proposed merger conditions will take office. If the merger does not pass, the winners of the Alexandria Village council race will fill the current open seats.
Candidates for Alexandria Village Council
If the merger does not pass, there will be four village council seats to fill, and four candidates on the ballot – meaning all four will earn their seats.
William “Herb” Lower, an incumbent candidate, is running for re-election. He is currently the chair of the Public Service Committee. Lower did not return The Reporting Project’s request for comment prior to publication.
Mitchel “Mitch” Peters describes himself as conservative with a strong background in construction and engineering. He has lived in the village of Alexandria on and off since he was 3 years old and said he is focused on making the village the best that it can be.
Kenneth “Lyle” Simpson, also an incumbent candidate, is running for re-election. He works as a veterinarian at the Alexandria Animal Clinic. Simpson did not return The Reporting Project’s request for comment prior to publication.
Spencer Geise is running for Alexandria Village Council, although he is in support of the village and township merging. He describes himself as a relational human who could be calm, steady and kind in a role on village council.
“While I’m in favor of the township and village merging, I’m also recognizing that no one knows the outcome of how it’s going to go. I put myself out there as a candidate for village council in the case that the merger does not pass,” Geise said. “I think we’re going to need some good leadership here in the village to move us forward on what our next steps are and even potentially repair relationships between the village and the township.”
If the merger does not pass, village council members Sarah Chambers and Carianne Meng will remain on the council until their terms expire in December 2027, alongside the four new elected members.
Candidates for Council of Proposed Merger Conditions
If the merger passes there will be six council seats to fill, though only three candidates are on the ballot.
Ann T. Lodder is running for a merged village council between Alexandria and St. Albans Township, and has served on the merger commission.
“I see this as a way to continue through and make sure that some of the conditions that were put into the merger conditions that rely on the merged village council to enact happen,” Lodder said.
She is a township resident and owns her own business, Lodder Landscaping.
“I own my own business, so I handle the books, I handle our budget, and I feel confident that I can help the new village navigate what it’s going to take to be 27 square miles, to have double the number of roads that it has to maintain and double the number of personnel it has to oversee,” Lodder said.
Carianne Meng, a current Alexandria Village Council member, also served on the merger commission. She believes a merger is the best way for Alexandria and St. Albans Township to protect themselves from unwanted development and to have more say at the state and county levels.
“The best way for me to conclude my work on the merger commission is to run for the merged village council so that the things that we wrote in as recommendations to the new council are things that I can take on as a council member,” Meng said. “I’m a see-it-through person. I want to see it through.”
Meng lives in the village but owns land in the township. She emphasizes that she doesn’t want to change anyone’s way of life, she simply wants to protect the rural nature of the township.
Dean Schiller served on the merger commission as well. He is currently vice president of the St. Albans Township Board of Zoning and Appeals. He said he aims to address growth and development pressures and ensure the community remains the same as it is today in both the township and the village.
If the merger passes, because only three people are running for seats, the remaining seats will be filled by appointment. Interested individuals have the opportunity to submit a statement of interest and the seated council members will vote on the appointment of the remaining seats.
Mayor of Proposed Merger Conditions
Sean Barnes, current mayor of Alexandria, is running for mayor of the merged Village of Alexandria and St. Albans Township. Barnes started work on the merger before he decided to run for mayor in his current role.
“I felt like I should at least put my name out there for this to help make sure that if it gets passed, that we complete all of the objectives of the merger to benefit the community,” Barnes said.
His main goal is to follow through with the set merger conditions, like protecting gun rights and protecting the community’s rural character. Barnes acknowledged the work and time people have dedicated to working on the merger and the merger conditions.
“I think it’s really important to see that these weren’t selfish people looking to preserve their own situation. These are people looking to help a whole community have a greater voice and a greater strength to be able to direct the future,” Barnes said.
If the merger does not pass, Barnes will remain in his current position as mayor of Alexandria until his term expires in December 2027.
Election Day is Nov. 4. Early voting is available at the election board office. Here are the hours:
Wednesday, Oct. 29 through Friday, Oct. 31: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 1: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 2: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Ella Diehl writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.