Wachter elected as Athol mayor

ATHOL — With 173 votes cast citywide, Robert Wachter will be the new mayor, receiving 106 votes to incumbent Darla Kuhman’s 67.

Kuhman, the whistleblowing mayor who caught former city clerk Sally Hansen embezzling from the city, has had an acrimonious relationship with some of the council following the investigation.

That prompted a heated city council election cycle this year as Kuhman’s seat came up for re-election along with two council seats. The incumbents of those two seats retained them as well.

Incumbent Councilman Bill Hill faced challengers Dan Ratcliff and Deborah Warner. Hill received 91 votes, while Ratcliff took 57 votes and Warner got 23.

Lynn Cole challenged incumbent Josh Spencer, but fell short, garnering only 66 votes to Spencer’s 107.

Kuhman, Cole and Ratcliff were running for change on the council. Wachter, Hill and Spencer were running to move the city past the embezzlement issue.