HIGHLAND -- Voters have brought change to Highland.

Mayor Jay Franson was defeated 2-1 in Tuesday's election, handing a mandate to his opponent, Lynn Ritchie, along with two other candidates who triumphed after running as an informal bloc.

Change is coming, winners said, but one thing that did not change on Election Day was the swirling rumors that seem to have dominated this city for weeks.

Word ran rampant through the city on Tuesday evening and Wednesday that county election officials removed the wife of city administrator Barry Edwards from voting operations after allegations that she looked at a completed ballot.

Not quite, said city recorder Gina Peterson on Wednesday. It is true that the administrator's wife was an election judge, and had been for two decades. There were rumors that a completed ballot was checked. Peterson said she questioned all involved and found no evidence that it ever happened. She conferred with county officials, who agreed there was no reason for any action, and she was allowed to remain as a poll worker.

The entire episode, however, stands as a cautionary tale and perhaps in the future the city may have to make different choices about who is allowed to work elections.

Rolayne Edwards has served with integrity for two decades, Peterson said, but because tensions and rumors were running high this year, she became a lightning rod. Edwards did not immediately return calls for comment.

Meanwhile, the city's new councilmen-elect are ready to foment change.

"My first priority is basically to go to my platform issues, which are basically financial soundness," said mayor-elect Lynn Ritchie.

He will work to build up the city's savings while answering residents' concerns about parks, open space and infrastructure. Another priority is to unify the city, he said.

"The election was very divisive and polarizing," he said. "We need to bring the different citizens together that were divided in the election."

Ritchie said he believes he defeated the incumbent in part because of a promise to bring transparency back to city government. But also because of general national feeling of discontent with incumbents.

City staff said Mayor Jay Franson was out of town until Saturday and would not be available for an interview.

"We are all having a good day," said councilman-elect Scott Smith. "We can make changes now. With (Councilwoman) Kathryn Schramm, we now have a majority of the elected offices. I think the citizens really wanted change."

Residents are looking for changes both big and small, he said. That will likely include a shake-up of key city staff.

"We are going to need a careful audit for efficiencies," Smith said. "A lot of city staff are worried about their jobs, but I don't think we need to make draconian cuts."

Asked what that meant, Smith said any staff reductions will be carefully targeted.

"I don't thing there is going to be a lot of reduction of city staff," he said. "We are kind of really looking at a couple of top positions. There is kind of a lot of top management."

Other changes will be myriad. Resident are angry over heavy-handed ordinances, including prohibitions against having signs with balloons in residential yards, he said. Residents are also unhappy with the way they are treated by city staff.

A first priority will be to establish better communication with residents, including a revamp of city agendas, broadcasting council meetings on the Internet, conducting a survey of residents' attitudes and concerns, creating a budget that laymen residents can actually read and understand, auditing the city books, assessing road priorities, and having open forums in city neighborhoods.

There will be no more secret meetings, he said.

"We don't believe this secret stuff works," he said, speaking of meetings between elected officials that have been called secret.

Council members in Highland have been regularly holding meetings, but avoiding open meetings laws by only meeting two council members at a time. For her part, Schramm said she has not had a chance to speak with Smith, Tom Butler and Ritchie, but expects the foursome will begin strategy meetings soon.

"I know what I would like to see done, and I know somewhat what the others would like to do," she said when asked about possible staff cuts. "We haven't talked about first priorities or second priorities. ... We will firm-up as we go. We intend to observe the open meetings acts religiously. We intend to abide by the rules 100 percent."

Schramm cautioned that it will take some time for the city's new political force to get its sea legs.

"It will take some time to organize things in a way the new mayor will want to do things," she said. "I hope people in the community will have patience with two new council members and the mayor."

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