The majority of voters in North Royalton have chosen to retain the City’s Administrative and Council positions, according to results of the November 7 election. Most of the City Council wards, however, didn’t have opposition, except for Ward 2. In all three races, the incumbent won.
For the position of Mayor, with 62.51% of the vote, Larry Antoskiewicz won over Diane Sacha, with a count of 6922 for Antoskiewicz and 4151 for Sacha. For the President of Council position, Paul Marnecheck won with 58.77% of the vote, over Jeremy Dietrich, with a count of 5980 for Marnecheck and 4196 for Dietrich. Ward 2 Council race gave incumbent Linda Barath a win with 1714 against Gary Petrusky, with 774 votes.
Antoskiewicz thanked voters by stating, “Basically, I’d like to thank them for their support, which they always have given to me all the years I’ve been doing this. I think the vote confirms that the voters like the direct we’ve taken the city and the progress we have made. I think we have done it in a way that keeps that North Royalton feel, but with the understanding that we need to move forward as well. I think they appreciate the balance.”
This will be Antoskiewicz’s second term as Mayor. He has served North Royalton since 2006, with eight years as President of Council and about six years as Ward 5 Councilman. Antoskiewicz said that he looks forward to completing projects that were started, such as the updating of Memorial Park, with the revamping of the tennis/basketball courts up next. The path, which was started earlier this year, is nearing completion. He also looks forward to the ramping up of the Abbey Road project, with the largest portion of getting sewers installed. He hopes to get that out to bid by the end of the year. The new Senior Center at Royal View School is moving forward. He said that he is waiting for the go-ahead on the inside. At this point, he said he is looking at cost estimates. He hopes to have the project complete by May, 2024. In the mean time, he is in the process of working with Council on the 2024 budget, which he expects to have adopted by year’s end. He is also in the process of negotiations with the City’s six unions.
To the voters, Marnecheck stated, “I would like to thank them for the trust they have continued to place in me as one of their elected council members. It’s humbling!” He said that he thought his win was the result of his fourteen years of service to North Royalton. “I spent the Spring, Summer and Fall going door to door and meeting residents at their homes, introducing myself and having substantive conversations. It was great reconnecting with the community in this post Covid-19 world,” he said.
This will be Marnecheck’s second term as North Royalton President of Council. He also has served as Councilman for Ward 4 for ten years.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer