Recount set for Saranac Lake in tri-county village elections

Mar. 20—SARANAC LAKE — In the only contested village election on the ballot in the tri-county area, Saranac Lake Village Board results are headed for a recount.

With two Saranac Lake village board seats open, four candidates on Tuesday's ballot came in with the second and third place candidates only 17 votes apart.

In the Village of Brushton, an unexpected race for trustee broke out between the ballot candidate and a write-in challenger. In the Village of Chateaugay, one trustee post had to be chosen by write-in votes split between three people.

All vote totals are unofficial.

In the Village of Saranac Lake, Sean Ryan (Republican/Sean Ryan for Saranac Lake Party) had 481 votes; Aurora White (Democrat/Team Saranac Lake Party) had 477 votes; Paul Van Cott (Democrat/Team Saranac Lake Party) got 460 votes; and Katie Stiles (Republican/Integrity for Saranac Lake Party) was fourth with 445 votes.

Fred Balzac, a registered Democrat, ran a write-in campaign and had 34 votes.

Since only 17 votes separate second and third place, village election officials sealed the ballots and sent them to the Franklin County Board of Elections for a recount. That should take place within five days.

No winners will be declared in the election until the recount results are announced.

There were village elections in Essex, Franklin and Clinton counties, with mayors elected in Rouses Point and Burke.

In Clinton County, three villages had elections.

The Village of Rouses Point had mayor and two village trustees for two year terms, all unopposed, on the ballot.

Incumbent Mayor John LaBonte (Unity Party) got 101 votes.

For trustee, incumbents Brian Pelkey (Moving Forward Party) got 99 votes and Benjamin "Benny" Arno (People Party) had 94 votes.

The Village of Champlain had two trustee seats up for two year terms. Incumbents Charles Conner (Citizens Unity Party) had 14 votes and Joel Herzog (Foresight Party) got 12 votes, both unopposed.

In the Village of Dannemora, one trustee seat is up for a one year term and Jarrod St. Phillips (I) had 21 votes running unopposed.

In Franklin County, four villages had elections.

In the Village of Burke, incumbent Mayor Craig Dumas (I) had 9 votes, and incumbent trustee Gary Lewis (I) got 9 votes. Both ran unopposed

In the Village of Brushton, Kevin Pentalow (I) ran unopposed for reelection as mayor and got 108 votes.

For one trustee seat, Susan Martin (I) won with 83 votes, and write-in trustee candidate Lisa Gervals had 27 votes. Both offices were for four year terms.

In the Village of Chateaugay, two trustee positions for two-year terms had incumbent Valerie Dalton (Freedom Party) with 15 votes; and the second trustee post determined by write-in votes for Courtney Leonard with 4 votes. Matt Helm had 2 write-in votes and Daniel Wilcox had 1 for trustee.

No one successfully filed for the second trustee position so it was filled by write-ins.

In Essex County, the Village of Lake Placid had a one-year unexpired term for village justice and currently appointed justice May Chow (Just Fair Party) received 28 votes unopposed.

The previous village justice resigned.