InstantnewsBellaire.com

Bellaire voters trickled to the polls on election day to choose the new face of the Bellaire City Council, but only three positions won with a clear victory and the other two will head for runoff elections. Only 3,182 ballots were cast, which represents 15 percent of registered Bellaire voters.

The Mayoral race goes to Cindy Siegel, and the winning council members are Will Hickman and Mandy Nathan. Voters must return to the polls on Dec. 12 to choose between Corbett Parker and Roseann Rogers for Place 3, and between Andrew Friedberg and James Jameson for Place 5 on the council.

Siegel claimed an election night victory over her opponent Robert Riquelmy to continue on the Bellaire City Council for another term. Siegel won 86 percent of the votes compared to Riquelmy’s 14 percent.

Siegel has served as Mayor since 2003, and before that she was a city council woman since 1997. Siegel told InstantNewsBellaire earlier in the campaign that she hopes to use this term to implement the city’s comprehensive plan and continue improving city infrastructure.

Will Hickman, the uncontested candidate for Place 1 on the council, earned 2,153 votes in the election, 100 percent. He said earlier in the campaign he will work to maintain quality city services in the economic downturn without burdening taxpayers too much.

The race for the Place 3 seat is headed for a runoff election between Corbett Parker with 49 percent of the vote, and Roseann Rogers with 28 percent. Richard Franke garnered 14 percent and Marie Anstead won 9 percent.

Position 5 on the council will also go to a runoff election between Andrew Friedberg with 47 percent of the vote, and James Jameson with 35 percent. Tina Blum-Cohen brought in 12 percent and Johnnie Frazier won 5 percent.

Finally, Mandy Nathan with 55 percent of the vote pulled ahead of her opponents to win the Place 6 seat on the council. Scott Scheinthal was next with 25 percent, followed by Jim Hotze with 20 percent of the vote.

Nathan told InstantNewsBellaire early in the campaign that if elected, she wanted to help the city through the economic downturn, promote economic development and better enforce the city’s laws and ordinances.

The Place 6 race was the subject of some controversy during the campaign because some residents and current city council members took offense at campaign mailers and emails sent by Hotze and Scheinthal.