HANCOCK COUNTY — Republicans swept the three seats on the New Palestine Town Council on Tuesday, including a Southern Hancock School Board member who will take on a different role in local government.
Bill Niemier received the most votes of the three winners. Incumbents Brandee Bastin and Jan Jarson also won. Challenger Angela Fahrnow, running as an independent, finished fourth in the race for the three seats.
Niemier and his wife, Michelle, strolled into the Hancock County Courthouse Annex building just in time to see the final results being posted on the screen set up for candidates and spectators in Commissioners Court. They were both all smiles when they saw Niemier was the top vote winner.
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“I’m very thankful,” Niemier said. “We didn’t take anything for granted, and we did a lot of work.”
Now that Niemier has been elected to be part of the town council, he will have to resign his position on the school board, a spot he’s held for the past 11 years.
“Our children are older now, and someone else should have the opportunity to be on that board, and I’m now looking forward to being part of the town council,” Niemier said.
Jarson, who will begin her third term on the council, said having to be part of an election was interesting and that it was something she has not ever had to do before. This was the first time in decades any seats on the council had been contested.
“It’s been exciting and exhausting,” Jarson said. “Bill is a good guy, and Brandee is a good person too, so we’ll have a good council moving forward.”
Bastin, who didn’t make it to the annex building to wait for results, was instead at her son’s academic honors dinner. When reached Tuesday night, she said she was thrilled to be elected to a second term.
“I’m very happy to be elected for a second time,” Bastin said. “I’m looking forward to what the future holds for the town and being a part of it.”
Niemier, Bastin and Jarson were elected earlier this summer during a town convention as the top three Republican candidates.
Fahrnow jumped on board as an independent in late summer, raising concerns about what she perceived to be nepotism issues, with the newly elected clerk-treasurer, Tonii Pyle, being the daughter-in-law of Dave Book, the town manager.
She thanked everyone who took the time to vote and supported her through the process.
“My goal was to bring awareness to everyone on how the town council was functioning and to raise some questions that needed to be asked,” Fahrnow said. “Hopefully, changes will take place to move the town forward in a positive direction.”
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Brandee Bastin (R);174
Angela Farhnow (I);129
Jan Jarson (R);178
Bill Niemier (R);193
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