Voters in Jasper County decide range of city and school board races, issues
The measure, listed on the ballot as Proposition A, received 4,100 "yes" votes, but there were 4,572 "no" votes.
Joplin
Incumbent David Weaver was reelected to the Joplin Board of Education, and former school board member Lori Musser will return to a board seat. Musser carried the highest vote total of 1,660; Weaver received 1,630. Other candidates were former board member Derek Gander, who received 818 votes, and Thomas Ross, who had not run for public office before and received 616 votes.
There were no Joplin City Council races this year.
Carthage
Carthage voters said "yes" to two tax proposals to benefit the school district.
The first measure to increase the district's operating levy from $3.05 per $100 of assessed valuation to $3.60 to help cover rising costs and give teachers a pay increase passed by a margin of 612 votes. The measure received 1,960 "yes" votes or 59.25%; "no" votes were 1,348, or 40.75%.
Voters also passed a measure to extend the district's 83-cent debt service levy for an additional five years to raise $25 million to build an auditorium with more classrooms and a tornado shelter at Carthage High School. It passed by a margin of 911 votes. It received 2,111 "yes" votes and 1,200 "no" votes, or 63.76% to 36.24%. The measure required a four-sevenths majority, or 57.1% of the vote, to pass. Passage extends the debt service levy to 2045.
Superintendent Luke Boyer said the district was looking at a bleak financial future before the voters gave their nod of approval to the levy increase.
"We were going to have to cut programs, increase staff and teacher ratios," Boyer said. "So there's a sense of relief that we're not in that situation, but at the same time I want to reiterate we're going to continue to look at our programs and evaluate costs and cut where possible. This is not a fix for all things financial, that's for sure. I think the biggest difference between yesterday and today is the overwhelming support we feel from our community."
The approval of the auditorium bond issue comes on the fourth attempt in the last five years.
Boyer said the district has completed about 30% of the planning for the auditorium, which will be located in the middle of the campus just south of the high school building.
Boyer said right now the plan is for the tornado shelter for the high school to be in the classroom section of the auditorium, but that could change. The district has applied for a Federal Emergency Management Agency storm shelter grant that would pay 75% of the cost of a storm shelter, and if it gets that, the shelter could be larger.
In the city of Carthage, David Bren Flanigan beat Ed Hardesty for mayor, 1,302 votes to 608.
A council incumbent in the 1st Ward, Chris Taylor, with 78 votes, lost to Kate Gilpin, with 86 votes. There were two races for seats to represent the 3rd Ward. David Thorn, with 218 votes, beat George Butler III, who had 172 votes for a two-year term, while Jack Perkins received 207 votes for a one-year term in the ward, beating Katrina Short, who received 199 votes. There also was a race in the 4th Ward where Alan Snow received 541 votes to the two-year term to T.J. Teed's 195 votes. Two candidates were seeking the two-year term in the 5th Ward — Ron Wells got 234 votes to Keith Hurlbut's 203 votes.
A candidate for the 2nd Ward, Ray West, was unopposed.
Two candidates for the Carthage School Board were within one vote of each other. Ryan Collier, with 2,489 votes, and Niki Cloud, with 2,488 votes, to take the two seats. They were not opposed.
Carl Junction
Residents of Carl Junction returned a familiar face to the mayor's post. Michael "Mike" Moss will be the mayor again. He received 216 votes to defeat opponent Rick Flinn, with 177. Tom Paul got 171 votes, LaDonna Allen had 97 votes, and Karma Wright had 91 votes.
Candidates for alderman in the town's four wards were unopposed. Winners are Hollie LaVigne, 1st Ward; James Shanks, 2nd Ward; David Pyle, 3rd Ward; and Anita Francis, 4th Ward.
For the Carl Junction Board of Education, Larry Cowger and Robert Hays won the two seats to be filled. Cowger received 672 votes, Hays 618 and Julianna Crow 599.
Webb City
Scott Smith is the winner of a one-year term on the Webb City School Board with 599 votes. His opponent, Austin Simpson, obtained 464 votes.
Stephen Crane won a three-year term on the Webb City board with 852 votes, as did Dan McGrew with 791 votes.
Brad Baker was the winner of a race for the Ward 3 council member. He garnered 146 votes, and his opponent, Fred Fletcher-Fierro, received 28. Andy Queen was unopposed in the 1st Ward; Gina Monson was unopposed in Ward 2.
Carterville
Two candidates for Ward 3 alderman in Carterville tied. Mike Dudley and Cody Franks each received 10 votes for the seat. In Ward 4, Brenda Cupp with 10 votes edged out David Patterson with 7 votes. Warren Myers was unopposed in Ward 1; Judy Martin was unopposed in Ward 2.
Oronogo
The city of Oronogo's Proposition A for a 2% use tax equal to that city's sales tax rate failed by a vote of 89-66.
Purcell
Winners of two at-large seats on the Purcell Board of Aldermen are Staci Long, with 20 votes, and Regan Weston with 15. Other candidates were Carl Bud Crease, 14; Sam Russell, 9; and Clem Stephens, 8.
Fire districts
Voters in the Duenweg and Jasper fire protection districts both approved a tax proposal to provide operating funding for the fire service. Duenweg's proposal for a 35-cent levy on each $100 assessed value for district support passed with 214 votes in favor and 175 against. The Jasper proposal was a tax of 30 cents on each $100 assessed value for operating funding, which was approved with 229 "yes" votes and 138 "no" votes.
Sarcoxie
The Sarcoxie School District Proposition C.A.R.E. proposal to borrow $2.5 million for district improvements failed by a vote of 258 against and 104 in favor. Had it passed, the district would have issued general obligation bonds to pay for the work and would have repaid the debt with a levy on property taxes of 45 cents per $100 assessed value.
The city of Sarcoxie asked voters approved a measure to impose a city sales tax of 3% on adult-use marijuana with 125 votes in favor and 38 against.
In addition, voters chose Susan Daniels, with 28 votes, who beat Catherine Gabler, who had 27 votes, for a two-year term as Ward 2 alderman.
Josh Dodson, with 301 votes, and James Ogle, with 257 votes, won seats on the Sarcoxie Board of Education.
Unopposed
The following candidates also were unopposed and virtually assured of election.
Duenweg Fire Protection board of directors — Colton Gurera for a six-year term.
Duenweg Board of Aldermen — Ward 2, William Haldeman. There is no candidate Ward 1, and that position could be filled by write-in.
Alba Board of Aldermen — Dan Pinola and Patricia Bearden for two-year seats.
Asbury Board of Aldermen — Zach Parish and Marti Sowder for two-year terms.
Waco Board of Aldermen — Sandra Wintjen for a two-year term. There is no candidate for a second seat, which could be filled by write-in vote.
City of Jasper — Becky Elliott for a two-year term as mayor; Kathy Fal for a two-year term as East Ward council member; and William Bill Herron for a two-year term as West Ward council member.
Jasper School Board — Jamie Kaderly and Kate Sears for three-year terms.
Sarcoxie — Grant Freeman, candidate for city of Sarcoxie Ward 1 alderman.
Village of Carytown — The two candidates for two-year terms as village trustee were Tony Leiker and Danny Cawyer.
Brooklyn Heights — Two seeking two-year terms for town trustees were Ray Trowbridge and Rick Pendleton.
Oronogo — Rick Seeley was unopposed for the two-year term for Oronogo Ward 1 alderman, Michael Renburg for Ward 2 and Darrell Orender for Ward 3.
Duquesne — Bill Sherman filed for the two-year term as mayor, Chris Ellsworth as Ward 1 alderman and Mireya (Myra) Gonzalez for Ward 2 alderman.
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