MAYOR AND CITY COLLECTOR RACES ARE CLOSE IN ORAN

Scott County voters decided several city and school board races Tuesday night, but few were as close as those in Oran.

Mayor Pro-tem Tom Urhahn barely outpaced Bob Dennis 186 votes to 181 to win the mayor's seat. Incumbent Mayor Louis Hirschowitz didn't seek re-election so that he can run in August for Scott County public administrator.

Even closer than the mayoral race in Oran, though, was the election for city collector. The incumbent collector, Jean Neal ran instead for Ward III alderman, where she was unopposed.

But neither Marcia Roslen nor Nena Glastetter was able to get a majority of the votes for the city collector's seat. The race ended in a 186-186 tie. Election officials said they would recount the ballots by hand today.

Voters also selected three members to the Oran School District Board of Education, where the balloting was tight among the top three vote-getters.

Linda Taylor received 375 votes, James R. Swindle got 370, and Larry Hatfield had 344. Ray Cook was defeated after getting only 229 votes. For Ward 2 alderman, Leroy Eftink edged Jim Tyler in another squeaker -- 73 votes to 71.

In Ward 4, the margin of victory for James W. Eftink was more comfortable. He received 51 votes to Walter Madigan's 30. Ronnie Diebold, like Neal, won the Ward 1 seat in an unopposed race.