After a hard-fought campaign in the village election, challenger Jim Lanning and incumbent Sue Jones were declared the winners of the two seats on the village board of trustees on election night, Tuesday, March 20.

Minutes after the voting booths closed at 9 p.m., Village Clerk Patty Couch announced that Lanning garnered the most votes with 271 ballots cast for him; Jones came in second with 250 votes; current Trustee John Cromp, appointed to the board one year ago and running for his own full term, came in a close third behind Jones with 247 votes.

There were a total of 388 ballots cast in the election, with 57 absentee ballots, Couch said.

There were also write-in ballots cast for five other individuals: Don Cox, Dan Govern, Ginny Longacre, William Lynn and Patricia Williams.

“I’m speechless right now,” Lanning said from the west porch of the Sherwood Inn, where he and a group of his supporters had waited for the results. “It’s overwhelming when your community makes a statement and takes the challenger to victory. Very humbling.”

Lanning, who ran unsuccessfully for village trustee last year, worked hard this year going door-to-door to meet and speak to village residents, he said. His campaign signs were visible in yards throughout the village, and on election day he could be seen with a campaign sign on West Genesee Street waving to passing motorists.

Jones called the election results “bittersweet” after Couch announced the final numbers outside the voting room in the Skaneateles fire station.

“I’m very pleased to have been reelected and my congratulations to Jim, but I am so sad to lose John [Cromp from the board],” Jones said. “When I decided to run again this isn’t the outcome I wanted.”

Cromp, who has run unsuccessfully for the board in the past, took the election results well, saying he has lost before and therefore this is not that upsetting.

“I did about all I could do. I ran a hard race. I thought I did a good job on the board this year,” he said.

Cromp said he is most proud of the work he did as committee co-chair in revamping the parking law, which addressed the contentious issue of the parking waiver fee in the village. He said he was looking forward to finishing the work on renovating the old Fennell Street fire station and moving village hall to the building.

In response to that comment, Jones said, “It’s rare that I would dare to speak for the mayor, but in this case I feel confident that John will be appointed a citizen member of the fire station committee.”

Cromp said he did not what is future plans would be after he leaves the board next month. “Good luck to the new board,” he said.

Lanning said he is looking forward to working with Mayor Marty Hubbard and other members of the board.

“I have a lot to learn at the village level, but some jobs like village trustee you can only learn by doing them,” Lanning said.

Lanning said he will continue to hold his seat on the town Zoning Appeals Board.

Lanning will be sworn in as the newest trustee, and 10-year-incumbent Jones sworn in for what she has said will be her final term of office, at the April 2 village board reorganizational meeting. Shortly after that, at the April 12 board meeting, the trustees will present the tentative village budget.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Skaneateles Press. He can be reached at [email protected].