The unofficial results show that Riverbank City Councilman turned mayoral candidate Richard O'Brien has a lead of 136 votes over incumbent mayor Virginia Madueno. He is optimistic regarding the outcome but also realizes that anything can happen until the results are official, including tabulation of the absentee ballots still to be counted.
The latest returns available from the Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters Office show O'Brien maintaining his lead with 2,954 votes (51 percent) to Madueno's 2,818 (49 percent).
O'Brien currently holds a position as a Riverbank City councilmember but said he decided to run for mayor because there are things that have gone on with the way the city is run that he does not agree with.
"For example, the way Jesse James White was pursued and the wasting of the money in that endeavor," explained O'Brien. "I would have done things differently. Just the general tone, will be different."
White, an embattled councilman, was the target of more than one recall effort and the majority of the council voted to pursue legal action to remove him from the panel. He is terming out this year and did not seek re-election.
O'Brien, a veteran and local businessman, said he has ideas for the city that he would bring forth as mayor and he already has several goals in mind if he wins this election. He stated that the revenue is short again, so they most likely will need to "dip deeper" into the reserves. That's not a solution he supports so he said the city needs to pursue additional revenue sources, possibly through new industries such as solar power.
Another issue that is very important to him, he said, is bringing new jobs to the community. He would like to identify where City Hall can help in that regard, possibly reducing some red tape, so that new business will want to come to Riverbank. O'Brien said he had some goals when he began on the council, not only for the council but also for the city, and he hopes to continue working with the council and city manager, Jill Anderson, to reach those goals.
"Everyone knows my message of fiscal responsibility. I want to pay the bills," stated O'Brien.
In the race for two council seats, incumbent Jeanine D. Tucker had the lead with 1,878 votes as of press time on Tuesday, for 20 percent of the votes cast. Seven candidates were on the ballot, with only six actively campaigning. Darlene Barber-Martinez had the second place slot in the unofficial returns with 1,769 votes for 19 percent and Cal Campbell was third with 1,685 votes, for 18 percent.
Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Lee Lundrigan said progress is being made on getting the results verified, but they are still unofficial.
"The Elections Office has opened and flattened more than 35,592 vote by mail ballots and completed processing each of the ballots through the high speed ballot scanning equipment to tabulate them. These unofficial tally results have been posted on our election website, www.stanvote.com," explained Lundrigan.
Scanning of the names of Election Day voters located on the polling place rosters was completed on Nov. 9, she added. These signatures must be scanned and a review conducted to determine who has voted prior to the processing of the provisional ballots. Reconciliation of each of the 167 polling site rosters and materials started this week and is expected to take several days, according to a message posted on the county website.
"Approximately 11,000 provisional ballots and hundreds of military, damaged, 7-day absentee and reconciliation ballots remain to be reviewed and processed before they are ultimately counted," Lundrigan said. "The remainder of the canvass will continue until complete. California law requires certification of this election to be on or before Dec. 4, 2012, which is 28 days following Election Day."
The latest returns available from the Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters Office show O'Brien maintaining his lead with 2,954 votes (51 percent) to Madueno's 2,818 (49 percent).
O'Brien currently holds a position as a Riverbank City councilmember but said he decided to run for mayor because there are things that have gone on with the way the city is run that he does not agree with.
"For example, the way Jesse James White was pursued and the wasting of the money in that endeavor," explained O'Brien. "I would have done things differently. Just the general tone, will be different."
White, an embattled councilman, was the target of more than one recall effort and the majority of the council voted to pursue legal action to remove him from the panel. He is terming out this year and did not seek re-election.
O'Brien, a veteran and local businessman, said he has ideas for the city that he would bring forth as mayor and he already has several goals in mind if he wins this election. He stated that the revenue is short again, so they most likely will need to "dip deeper" into the reserves. That's not a solution he supports so he said the city needs to pursue additional revenue sources, possibly through new industries such as solar power.
Another issue that is very important to him, he said, is bringing new jobs to the community. He would like to identify where City Hall can help in that regard, possibly reducing some red tape, so that new business will want to come to Riverbank. O'Brien said he had some goals when he began on the council, not only for the council but also for the city, and he hopes to continue working with the council and city manager, Jill Anderson, to reach those goals.
"Everyone knows my message of fiscal responsibility. I want to pay the bills," stated O'Brien.
In the race for two council seats, incumbent Jeanine D. Tucker had the lead with 1,878 votes as of press time on Tuesday, for 20 percent of the votes cast. Seven candidates were on the ballot, with only six actively campaigning. Darlene Barber-Martinez had the second place slot in the unofficial returns with 1,769 votes for 19 percent and Cal Campbell was third with 1,685 votes, for 18 percent.
Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Lee Lundrigan said progress is being made on getting the results verified, but they are still unofficial.
"The Elections Office has opened and flattened more than 35,592 vote by mail ballots and completed processing each of the ballots through the high speed ballot scanning equipment to tabulate them. These unofficial tally results have been posted on our election website, www.stanvote.com," explained Lundrigan.
Scanning of the names of Election Day voters located on the polling place rosters was completed on Nov. 9, she added. These signatures must be scanned and a review conducted to determine who has voted prior to the processing of the provisional ballots. Reconciliation of each of the 167 polling site rosters and materials started this week and is expected to take several days, according to a message posted on the county website.
"Approximately 11,000 provisional ballots and hundreds of military, damaged, 7-day absentee and reconciliation ballots remain to be reviewed and processed before they are ultimately counted," Lundrigan said. "The remainder of the canvass will continue until complete. California law requires certification of this election to be on or before Dec. 4, 2012, which is 28 days following Election Day."
