By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Challenger Pat Moeller led three incumbent Hamilton City Council members competing for three seats in Tuesday's election in complete, but unofficial, returns.

Christopher Flaig, Richard Holzberger and George McNally were seeking another two-year term on council. They were being challenged by Moeller, Mathew Ellis and Robert Weber.

Moeller had 25 percent of the votes; Flaig had 21 percent; McNally had 17 percent; Holzberger had 15 percent; Weber had 11 percent; and Ellis had 10 percent with all 44 precincts reporting.

McNally, a former Hamilton police chief, has served on council for 18 years; Holzberger, a former Butler County sheriff, for eight years, and Flaig for two years.

City council has made economic development its top priority. Hamilton, like many older industrial cities, has struggled economically as manufacturing jobs have vanished.

Hamilton is working hard to recruit new businesses and to retain its existing ones. To attract high-tech businesses with good-paying jobs, the city is developing a fiber-optic system that will connect with Butler County's 100-mile network.

In the early returns in the race for three Middletown City Council at-large seats, incumbents Bob Wells and Laura Williams and challenger Fred Sennet were leading a field of six candidates.

With votes still being counted in the Fairfield City Council race, incumbent Mike Snyder was leading former Fairfield Mayor Robert Wolpert in Ward 1, 60 percent to 40 percent. Incumbent Marty Judd was leading incumbent Jeff Holtegel, Donald Hassler, and Betty Kellum, for the Ward 2 seat.

Mitch Rhodus was winning the Ward 3 council seat, which is being relinquished by Ron D'Epifanio, who will run for an Ohio House seat next year. Rhodus had 52 percent of the votes; Debbie Pennington, 40 percent; and Keith Davis, 8 percent. Incumbent Steve Miller was leading incumbent Charles Klosterman for the Ward 4 seat, 70 percent to 30 percent.

E-mail skemme@enquirer.com