Write-in candidate wins Gibson tax collector race

As the Returns Board sorts through write-in votes from last Tuesday’s municipal election, at least one race has a different outcome than thought from the early results.
In the Gibson Township race for tax collector, Heather Pearsall carried both the Republican and Democratic tickets in the May Primary and was the only name that appeared on Tuesday’s ballot.
But she was met by a write-in challenge from Linda Sivers, who had previously been appointed to collect the school taxes in the township, according to the Tax Claim Bureau’s list of 2016 tax collectors.
The Returns Board hand-canvassed and hand counted the ballots on Monday morning. The board is allowed to canvas for voter intent and found Sivers garnered 149 votes, over Pearsall’s 147.
Election results from the Nov. 9 election are still unofficial, said Susquehanna County Director of Elections SarahRae Sisson. The Returns Board began meeting on Friday, Nov. 10 and is expected to finish and certify the final results on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
In Rush Twp., incumbent Denise Campbell was re-elected in the tax collector’s race over Susan Jayne, 176-24.
Five names appeared on the ballot for four seats on Great Bend Borough Council, top vote-getters were Matthew Post, Benjamin Franks, Michael VanGorden, and Michael Crook.
In Liberty Twp., incumbent William Goodrich was elected as supervisor over challenger Lori Raub, 120-99.
In the Montrose Area Region 1 School Director race, incumbents Gloria Smith and Jennifer Strickland were re-elected. Both appeared as the Republican nominees. They were challenged for the seats by former board member Pamela Staats and Taylor Warner.
In Mountain View Region 2C, incumbent board member Edward Napierkowski was elected over Suzanne Needman, 393-168.
In the Region 3 School Director race for Susquehanna Community, Pamela Benson unseated incumbent Carol Jackson, 219-206.
Many races will be determined by the results of write-in votes, including the Forest City mayoral position; a 6-year Harford Twp. supervisor seat; and positions on Susquehanna Borough Council.
The late John Hendrickson was the only name to appear on the ballot in for one of three Susquehanna council seats. Hendrickson passed away just weeks prior to the election.
In unopposed county-wide races, Sheriff Lance Benedict was re-elected; and Jan Krupinski, who secured the nod in the primary, was elected as the Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts. Magisterial District Judges Jeffrey Hollister and Jodi Cordner were also re-elected.