A quiet election year in Garden City turned interesting just days before residents headed to the polls March 18.

Trustee John Mauk, who represents the Estates section of Garden City, proved victorious despite an 11th hour attempt to oust him.

Western section resident Eileen Collins, in a mass email to her neighbors, urged them to "send a clear message" to Trustee Mauk that "integrity and trust are alive in Garden City" by voting for her through write-ins.

According to the village clerk, Collins received a total of 163 write-in votes while Trustee Mauk, who believed he was running uncontested this year because no one had challenged his property owners' association's nomination of himself, received 334 votes.

According to Village Clerk Brian Ridgway, he was not told of any disqualified votes. If a voter wrote "E. Collins," "Mrs. Collins" or just "Collins," on the write-in, they would all be counted.

Collins, who had served the village as a trustee during the time in which Garden City voted to purchase the St. Paul's property, told Garden City Life that she had not even entertained the idea of a challenge to Trustee Mauk across the sections until after the March 13 meeting where residents, she said, were so offended "by him," "his attitude" and the "whole ethics issue."

Collins was out of state and did not attend the meeting but received several phone calls from residents asking her to run.

"Residents want transparency in their government ... If a POA just cannot find somebody or the person they nominate seems to have taken a late stance on their recusal and seems to be divisive and dismisses men and women when they come up to the microphone, then yes, I believe it is a citizen's calling to challenge and the write-in was the way I was asked to do it," she said.

Collins began planning her "campaign" describing herself as "caring, committed, constructive, creative and concerned," Friday evening, March 14. With three days and maybe 16 people helping, Collins said she still was able to get 163 people to write her name on the ballot. "I ran to make the board more diverse," she said, adding that three residents who called and asked her to run believed she could do just that.

Collins said even though she lost the election she still believes she won. "I opened up discussion about the POA nominating committees and the village's Community Agreement," she told Garden City Life, adding that if residents want her to serve and they ask her again - and if the time was right - she would. "It's time for a new day and new beginning," she added.

According to village spokesperson Brad O'Hearn, Garden City's Community Agreement, first adopted back in 1919, does not have the force of law. "It is simply an agreement that has traditionally permitted each [property owners' association] to nominate two trustees. If they are the only ones nominated, they are elected."

This is the case despite the fact that the agreement specifically states, "At all times each section of the village has two of its residents on the board of trustees, assuring equal representation."

O'Hearn continued, adding that, "The trustees are elected at large and are expected to represent the entire village. So if a challenger enters the race, he or she must place in the top four to be elected."

Trustee Mauk was on vacation as of press time and unavailable for comment. According to Village Administrator Bob Schoelle, such a situation has never happened before in the village's history.

Back in January the Nominating Committee of Garden City Estates selected Trustee Mauk as its nominee for election. It was unclear at press time if Estates POA President Manny Velez was aware of Collins' move prior to the March 18 vote. President Velez did not provide Garden City Life with any comment on the issue.

Fellow trustees John Watras, Donald Brudie and Nicholas Episcopia received 461, 461 and 421 votes respectively.

Mayor Peter Bee, in this week's mayor's column, congratulated the gentlemen on their election, gratified that the village's affairs "will remain in such capable hands."