LEBANON — Candidates for City Council who campaigned as cost-cutters amid concerns about the trajectory of municipal spending fell short at the polls on Tuesday.

In ballot voting, state Rep. Laurel Stavis won election to an at-large seat on the City Council, replacing Karen Liot Hill, who was elected to the state’s Executive Council in November.

With 698 votes, Stavis beat out Lori Key, 625, for the two-year seat. Carline Roberge, 140, was a distant third.

“I’m honored to be able to have the chance to serve Lebanon on the City Council,” Stavis said Wednesday. “What I’m really excited about is the opportunity to bring the experience that I have had and continue to have in the New Hampshire Legislature back to Lebanon.”

Stavis said she is particularly excited to transfer her experience as the ranking member of the New Hampshire House Municipal and County Government Committee because that is “the committee that makes the laws that effect Lebanon residents every day.”

In addition to representing the city as a Democratic state representative, Stavis works at the Price Chopper on Miracle Mile. Ahead of the election, Stavis told the Valley News she hoped to use her different roles to connect with residents and support her work on the council.

This strategy worked for some voters, including Martha Neary, 62, who said meeting Stavis at Price Chopper had helped sway her vote for the candidate.

Lori Key got into the race following an announcement from the city manager that residents would see uncommonly high tax rates over the next several years. She ran on a campaign of reducing the city budget, saying she would create a dedicated finance committee and ask more questions about how things are traditionally done.

On election day, Key said “no matter the results,” her work in Lebanon was not done, whether that be from “within” on the council or continuing to place pressure on officials “from the outside.”

Incumbent Devin Wilkie kept his seat, beating out Paul Roberts, 377-219, for a two-year term representing Ward 2 on the City Council.

Angy Zhang, 32 said she has worked with Wilkie as part of Housing First Upper Valley, a group of residents organizing around homelessness.

Zhang said she supports Wilkie because he addresses problems in a “thoughtful way, not just sound bites,” collaborates with other communities to address regional issues and is very knowledgeable.

“I totally understand we need to get property taxes down, but it has to be done responsibly,” Zhang said.

Like Key, Roberts focused his campaign on bringing down the municipal tax rate and city spending.

Wilkie said ahead of the election that he too considered reducing the tax burden a top priority, but also emphasized keeping services that make the city a desirable place to live.

While he is “pleased to be able to continue serving the community,” Wilkie said he is “ready to get back to work” and focus on priorities like reducing the city budget and tax increases and searching for a new city manager. Current manager Shaun Mulholland leaves at the end of May for the post of town administrator in Londonderry, N.H.

Wilkie also said he is “grateful” to Roberts and his supporters for “raising their concerns” and “I do hope to work with them going forward on some of their priorities and see what we might be able to do together to help ease the tax burden.”

Incumbent Douglas Whittlesey, Ward I, and council newcomer Nicole Ford Burley, Ward III, were unopposed for two-year terms representing their wards.

Voters also approved three zoning articles: pattern zoning, recovery houses and rezoning the campus of Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital to allow for the addition of staff housing.

Adams Carroll, 38, said he was “really excited” about supporting the pattern zoning item. The amendment will allow for higher density housing that “fits the character of existing neighborhoods,” according to the ballot text.

“I think it’s going to be a great way to expand access to affordable housing in Lebanon that’s really needed,” Carroll said.

Many residents also were vocally supportive of the recovery housing item.

“It’s something that is needed for people who have had trouble who we have to give a chance, because people need a place,” Dorothy Wool, 73, said about supporting the article.

Todd Caruso, 54, said he voted to support recovery housing because it was recommended by the City Council, but he was surprised that the rules needed to be changed at all. He said he’s lived down the street from Headrest for 18 years.

Headrest, a Lebanon-based nonprofit, has operated a low-intensity residential facility for people with substance use disorder on Church Street in Lebanon, though the nonprofit recently announced that it would be closing this facility, which required 24-hour staff support and 5 hours of clinical service each week.

“They’ve been great neighbors… Headrest is an example of a recovery house that has integrated well in my neighborhood and I have no problem with it,” Caruso said.

The zoning amendment will allow certified recovery houses in residential districts. Recovery houses range in the level of services provided from “peer-run” houses at the lowest level, to facilities with clinical support at the highest level, according to the National Association of Recovery Residences.

On the school side, Joseph Castelot, Laila Volle and Kerry O’Hara each earned a three-year term on the School Board. They beat out Travis Talbert and Kaitlyn Ramos, who dropped out of the race before the vote.

Voters also approved a school budget of $55.5 million, as well as a separate warrant article for the cost of a new collective bargaining agreement with the Lebanon Education Association, which includes an additional $1 million in the first year.

Clare Shanahan can be reached at cshanahan@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.