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MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—Collins, a Republican, defeated Glenn D. Coble, a Democrat, in the general election on Tuesday to claim the city’s highest executive office. The final unofficial tally showed Collins with a wide margin of victory, 4,861 votes to 2,330 votes (67.6% to 32.4%).
The former longtime chief of the Marion Police Department said he is thankful for the support he received from Marion voters in this election cycle.
“I’m tickled to death. It’s been a very long year,” Collins said. “I had a great time campaigning, from the fair to the Popcorn Festival. I met a lot of good people that I didn’t know and met a lot of old friends that I did know. Everybody was very positive about the step that I was taking trying to become mayor. I thank everyone who supported me, especially my wife who supported me all this time, and my family. I had great support all through the campaign and I appreciate all those people.”
Collins, who will replace longtime mayor Scott Schertzer in January 2024, said he has already outlined definite plans for his administration. In addition to Schertzer leaving city hall in the new year, Director of Public Safety Randy Caryer and Director of Public Service Cathy Chaffin are also planning to leave their posts at the end of 2023.
Collins said he plans to combine the two positions as had been done in the past. Former Safety Director Tom Robbins has agreed to serve in the capacity of safety-service director for one year, Collins. After that, Assistant Fire Chief Rob Cowell will fill the role.
Collins said he wants to add two new positions to the city administration: director of budget and finance and director of planning, development and special projects.
Collins said the director of budget and finance would work in the auditor’s office, but would report to the mayor and the city council.
“We have to get a handle on this auditor’s office situation,” Collins said, referencing the struggles the office has experienced dating back to 2020. “We need someone who has institutional knowledge in municipal accounting practices. So we would get someone from another city or the state auditor’s office to come in and fill that job. The auditor (Miranda Meginness) is in agreement with having somebody come in there and do that job.”
Collins said the director of planning, development and special projects would be tasked with rebranding Marion and handling a variety of projects from park redevelopment to creating new streetscapes. Collins said the position would be an expansion of the former director of public works job.
“I think city council is in agreement with both of these positions,” Collins said. “We plan to put those forth (to city council) before the end of the year so we can at least get moving with those.”
In other races for executive offices in the City of Marion, Auditor Miranda Meginness and Law Director Mark D. Russell each ran without opposition.
Meginness, who was appointed by the Marion County Republican Party Central Committee in 2021 to replace former auditor Robert Landon, received 5,361 votes. Meginness left the Republican Party in July 2022 and is now an independent.
Russell, a Democrat and the longtime law director, received 5,020 votes.