McQueen, who received 1,318 votes, defeated Mark Heise, who received 321 votes, according to final unofficial results from the Greene County Board of Elections.
“Steve beat me. I wish him well,” Heise said as results came in.
McQueen said he was “elated” with the news of his victory.
“I’m also just as happy with the support I’ve been getting from the whole community for the last several weeks, whether I won or not,” McQueen said. “I’ll get up tomorrow and go out and see Yellow Springs in a whole new way.”
During the James A. McKee Candidates Night Oct. 15, both said they plan to follow Conine’s progressive lead, but by taking slightly different approaches.
Heise said he favored focusing outside Yellow Springs’ borders to promote the village as a destination point, while McQueen saw a tighter-knit community focused on events and services.
In the race for Village Council, Angie Hsu (1,396 votes) and Senay Semere (1,224) were elected to four-year terms. Stephanie Pearce (632) was elected to a two-year term.
Three of the five members of the Village Council are elected every two years in the November general election. The two candidates receiving the most votes are elected to four-year terms. The candidate with the third highest total receives a two-year term.
Brian Housh, with 450 votes, was the lone incumbent on the ballot for Village Council, having served 12 years as a Yellow Springs elected official in addition to a number of local and regional boards, including the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission and Yellow Springs Development Corporation.
Affordable housing was a top issue for the five other candidates vying for a seat on the council.
Dean Pallotta, who received 577 votes and is the longtime owner of Dino’s Cappuccinos, said upgrading utilities and roads and attracting seniors to the decision-making table was key to the village’s future.
Semere characterized the housing situation as a “dilemma” and said the village must continue to embrace its culture.
Pearce, a former firefighter, said her platform included seeking out and incentivizing companies that pay livable wages to locate to Yellow Springs and encouraging council toward more “resident-focused initiatives and decisions.”
Hsu, owner of local restaurant MAZU, said, “Over the years it has become harder and harder for many people to continue to live here.”
Scott Osterholm, with 560 votes, is a 1988 Yellow Springs High School graduate and said the working-class needs a voice on the council.
About the Author
