BATH — James Omo and Kyle Rogers, who were unseated from the City Council in recent elections, secured enough votes Tuesday to return to the council.

Meanwhile, voters approved four of six proposed amendments to the City Charter.

They defeated amendments that would have allowed the city manager to live outside of Bath, and would have exempted revenues from the municipal expenditure cap that have are obtained and used for project expenses connected to a tax increment financing district.

Omo, of North Street, defeated incumbent Councilor Sean Paulhus, of Middle Street, 1,614 to 1,522, in the race for the at-large seat being vacated by Councilor Andrew Winglass.

Omo said via email Wednesday morning that he looks forward to working with other the city councilors and staff, and is excited about Bath’s future.

Paulhus still had another year left in his Ward 2 term, but said in September that he “would like the opportunity to represent all the people of Bath on the City Council, and continue to serve the people in my ward.”

Paulhus was elected in 2008 to fill the final year of an unexpired City Council term. He has been re-elected twice, without opposition.

Omo runs Omo Construction, and served two terms on the council, from 2005-2011, before being unseated by Merrill in Ward 1.

He serves on the board of the Bath Youth Meetinghouse and Skatepark, and has also been on the South End Park and Waterfront Park committees, the Sagadahoc County Budget Committee and Bath’s Solid Waste and Recycling Committee and the Facilities, Lighting and Parking committees.

Omo was also City Council representative to Bath’s School Board, prior to the city joining Regional School Unit 1.

Rogers, who served two terms on the City Council from 2006-2012 before being unseated by Carolyn Lockwood, defeated Peter Blachly, 231-154, for the Ward 3 seat. Lockwood vacated that seat in August to avoid a potential conflict of interest with her new job as director of Main Street Bath.

Rogers said via email Wednesday that he wanted to thank the Ward 3 citizens “for braving the long lines at the polls yesterday. I want to congratulate my opponent for his willingness to run, it is very important to have citizens willing to step to the plate and run for office.”

Rogers works for the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Shipbuilding as a resource management assistant. He is also a former real estate agent, and retired in 2002 after two decades in the U.S. Navy.

Rogers has been president of the Merrymeeting Board of Realtors, and his other involvements include the Bath Economic Development and Community Development Block Grant committees, as well as the Midcoast Council of Governments, Sagadahoc County Communications Center board of directors, and the Mid Coast Business Development and Planning groups.

Susan Bauer of Dummer Street was the only candidate in Ward 6, which Councilor David Sinclair is leaving to run for district attorney, and received 391 votes.

Gregory Page of Washington Street also ran uncontested, in Ward 1, to replace Councilor Meadow Merrill, and received 420 votes.

The four charter amendments that passed will:

• Change the time of the council’s annual organizational meeting, held in December, from 7:30 p.m. to the usual 6 p.m. start time of other meetings.

• Allow notification of special meetings to be sent to councilors via email, with verification of receipt.

• Permit alternate ward clerks and wardens to serve at elections when the usual appointees are unavailable.

• And bring city elections with write-in candidates in line with Maine law, eliminating a requirement for tallying such candidates in most situations.

Alex Lear can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 113 or alear@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @learics.

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Regional School Unit 1 board

There were no contests this year in elections for the Regional School Unit 1 Board of Directors.

Jennifer Ritch-Smith of Woolwich received 395 votes in District 1 post (Bath and Woolwich), Chairman Tim Harkins of Arrowsic had 208 votes for District 3 (Arrowsic, Bath and Woolwich), and Bill Perkins of Phippsburg in District 7 (Bath and Phippsburg) had 300 votes.

No one submitted papers for the District 2 seat (Bath and West Bath) held by David Barber of Bath, who did not seek re-election, so the representative for that district may be elected by write-in votes. Megan Fuller received 17 write-in votes, and Judith Dillion got 13.

— Alex Lear

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