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Council candidacy of two being challenged

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XENIA — The city council candidacy of two Xenia men is being challenged by a pair of residents.

Benjamin C. Patterson and Christian N. Steen filed written protests to the petitions turned in by current council president Mike Engle and current councilmember Will Urschel.

Both protesters are asking the board of elections to vacate the certification because neither Engle nor Urschel received the required number of signatures — 75 — as mandated by city charter. The two were certified based on the Ohio Revised Code requirement of 50 signatures.

As a home-rule city, Xenia’s charter requirement supersedes the ORC in this situation.

Both men received with their petition packet a sheet from the Ohio Secretary of State indicating they were required to obtain 50 signatures with a maximum of 150.

“It was a staff error,” Board of Elections President Llyn McCoy said in an email. “However Mr. Urschel was provided with a copy of the municipal charter which stipulates the number of signatures required. I don’t know if Mr. Engle received the same charter handout.”

Engle had no comment on the protest, while Urschel said he had not received official notification and preferred to wait.

The protest hearing will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 6 in Court Room No. 3 of the Greene County Court House, 45 N. Detroit Street, Xenia.

The hearing will be conducted by the four board of election members: Chair John C. Caupp, Doris M. Adams, Janis B. Basham, and Anne Gerard.

By Scott Halasz

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Contact Scott Halasz at 937-502-4507.