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T he question of a contested election for the village of Granville came down to the wire this week.
With days to go to the deadline, four candidates declared their intentions and made the necessary arrangements to make the ballot for the village election March 15. Candidates needed to pick up an official petition and gather 50 signatures to make it onto the ballot for the spring election — or gather 50 signatures between any group if running as a party or block and turn that petition in by the Feb. 8 at 5 p.m. deadline.
As the deadline came and went, four candidates had officially thrown their hats into the ring, leaving the village without a contested election.
In the election four positions will be open after Mayor Jay Niles announced he did not plan to seek a second term as mayor after four years in the position.
Niles was the first mayor to serve in the position after the village moved to lengthen the terms or village board members and the mayor from two years to four during the final year of the administration of Tom Scott in 2006.
Previously announced candidates Brian LaRose and Dean Hyatt, for mayor and trustee, respectively, were joined by South Street resident Paul Labas, who turned in a petition to run for the village trustee seat vacated by LaRose.
LaRose is a two-term member of the board as trustee, while Hyatt seeks his third term as a trustee.
Labas seeks to return to the village board, having held office previously. The final position is village judge. Roger Forando turned in his petition and will run for the position. Forando, Hyatt, Labas and LaRose have formed a party for the election and will run together.
Village resident Dan Wescott said he picked up a petition to run for trustee, but later decided against it when he found out Labas planned to run for trustee.
Wescott said he spoke with LaRose and Hyatt and offered his help with committees or in other ways but decided against a run because he thought Labas was a good candidate.
Also picking up a petition to run for an office was North Street resident George Henry, who did not turn in the document by the deadline.
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