Primary results vary in 3 towns

That plan was revamped last month when Councilman Mark Ellermeyer brokered a deal with developers to find a different route using the Highland Park Bridge and Brilliant Avenue. But the last-minute compromise didn’t help Mr. Ellermeyer’s efforts to win a third term in office and he fell short of the Democratic nomination.

The development was clearly important to voters, who instead chose the four candidates sponsored by Priority Aspinwall, a citizens group formed in the wake of the controversy. All of the Priority Aspinwall candidates are political newcomers and they swept the other candidatesby large margins.

According to unofficial results, the top vote getter for the Democratic nod was Marcia Cooper, with 337 votes. Close behind was Lara Voytko with 330 votes, followed by Mary Plakidas with 293 votes and David C. Brown with 288 votes. Mr. Brown also won the Democratic nomination for mayor. Mr. Ellermeyer came in fifth placewith 208 votes.

Four Republican candidates were unopposed in the primary, and all will face off in the general election on Nov. 7.

McCandless

A seemingly never-ending controversy over a now-defunct plan to build a WalMart continues to dominate politics in McCandless. There was only one contested election for a council seat, and it was between Republicancandidates in Ward 6.

Unofficial results show incumbent Councilman Ralph J. LeDonne cruising to an easy victory with 214 votes over newcomer Carolyn Schweiger, who received 125 votes. There were no Democratic candidates for Ward 6, virtually assuring Mr. LeDonne a fourth term in office come November.

Ms. Schweiger is a member of McCandless 4 Tomorrow, a political action committee opposed to the WalMart development, which was originally approved by council in 2014, but scrapped a year later when Giant Eagle essentially killed the project by purchasing a nearby parcel of property that Wal-Mart needed.

Mt. Lebanon

Controversy was swirling in Mt. Lebanon, where five school board seats were hotly contested, and one race was apparently won by just four votes. Four of the seats are for four-year terms, and one is fora two-year term.

The top winner among Democrats for a four-year seat was incumbent Michael Riemer, followed by newcomer Aviva Diamond, incumbent Stephen Strotmeyer and former board member Elaine Cappucci.

The GOP nods went to newcomer Kathleen Caste, followed by Ms. Cappucci, incumbent Daniel Remely and board president Mary Birks, who squeaked through with just four votes after absentee ballots were counted early Wednesday. Before those votes were counted, results showed Ms. Birks losing by eight votes to Mr. Riemer for the Republican nomination.

In the race for the two-year seat, Mr. Riemer secured the Democratic nomination, and Ms. Cappucci will be the Republicannominee.

Ms. Birks was the subject of recent controversy over accusations of a conflict of interest involving her role as executive director of Outreach Teen & Family Services.

Ms. Birks said she would refrain from future votes involving funding for the local nonprofit, which offers screening services for Mt. Lebanon students ages 11-18 for mental health and emotional issues.

Vote totals for the school board race can be found at http://www.county.allegheny.

The only contested commissioner race in Mt. Lebanon was for the Ward 2 seat currently held by Steve Silverman, who defeated challenger Bob Lee for the Democratic nomination, 639 votes to 331 votes.

In November, Mr. Silverman will face challenger Charlotte Stephenson, who was uncontested for the Republican nomination.

Alsoin Mt. Lebanon, voters were asked whether to amend the home-rule charter to limit real estate tax increases to 10 percent of the previous year’s general fund budgeted revenue, or about $3.5 million per year. Exceptions would be allowed if a voter referendum was approved for a higher amount or if commissioners approved an increase unanimously.

Voters approved the measure, 3,865 votes, or 78.97 percent, in favor versus 1,029 votes, or 21.03 percent, opposed.

The measure will replace the current tax-hike limit of 2 mills, or about $5 million.