By Susan Redden
sredden@joplinglobe.com
Some school district patrons in the region will be staying home on April 8, while others will be going to the polls to decide on school district directors’ posts, bond issues and city council seats.
Candidate filing for city and school board offices closed last week in Missouri.
This year, there will be no election for members of the Carl Junction School Board, since three candidates are running for three board vacancies. A state law approved several years ago allows school districts to skip school board elections if there are no contests to decide. The change was designed to allow schools to save money by not having to pay election costs when there is no race on the ballot.
Lisa Knutzen, Claudia Cox and Glenn Coltharp, all board incumbents, are seeking re-election on the Carl Junction board, according to Sandy Latimer.
“This is the second time for us; we didn’t have an election last year,” she said.
Though the change in state law did not extend to cities, residents inside Carl Junction have one City Council office and a tax measure to decide.
In Ward 1, incumbent Barbara Evans is facing challenges from Ron Daniel, Donald Marshall and Julie Alford.
Three other council incumbents are unopposed — Carl Skaggs in Ward 2; Mark Powers in Ward 3; and Dee Lynn Davey in Ward 4.
Carl Junction residents also will be deciding a bond issue to fund construction of a new community building for the city.
If approved, the new building would house Carl Junction City Hall, the local senior center and a community center.
Financing would come by extending a current 23-cent levy for another 20 years, said Maribeth Matney, city clerk.
Members of the Webb City School District won’t have to decide a race for the school board, where incumbents Jeanne Newby, Will Roderique and David Collard are unopposed. But, they will be asked to approve a bond issue that failed earlier.
The $5 million bond issue would finance a new high-school library, new classrooms in the junior high, classroom renovations in the high school and replacing windows at two other schools.
If the issue passes, the district would sell $5 million in bonds and pay off the debt over 20 years by extending the debt-service levy at its current rate of 68 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
The only race for City Council in Webb City is in Ward 4, where incumbent Gene Mense is facing a challenge from Randy Cahoon. Also on the ballot are Ray Edwards, in Ward 1; Don Darby, Ward 2; and Jerry Fisher, Ward 4.
Webb City voters also will be asked to decide a bond issue for road projects. The proposal calls for issuing more than $7 million in bonds for projects on Hall Street, 17th Street, Carl Junction Road and Madison Avenue, and other locations. The debt would be retired with sales-tax revenue voters approved last year.
Carthage residents will have two City Council races to decide and five candidates from which to choose for three seats on the Carthage R-9 School Board.
Council races are for Ward 2, where candidates are Timothy Teed and Ronnie E. Wells; and for Ward 3, where John Studebaker and Vince Scott are seeking the post.
Candidates in uncontested races are Claude Newport, for Ward 1; Larry Ross, Ward 4; and Keith Hurlbut, Ward 5.
Newport and Ross are council incumbents. Wells served previously on the council and the remaining candidates are council newcomers. Incumbents not seeking re-election are Mike Harris, in Ward 2; Cynthia Curry, Ward 3; Bill Johnson, Ward 4; and Tom Flanigan, Ward 5.
Ross, currently a Ward 1 councilman, has moved to Ward 4, according to officials. He has one year left in the Ward 1 post, and officials are researching how the vacancy should be handled.
Candidates for the Carthage R-9 School Board are Tony Diggs, Jeff Jones and Danny Lambeth, all incumbents, and Kent Hogan and Alan Snow.
Six candidates are seeking three, three-year terms on the Neosho School Board. Contenders are Cheryl Hawkins, Cindy Norman and Richard Davidson, incumbents, and J.C. Herrell, Lynn Otey and Earl Reynolds. John Harden is seeking a one-year unexpired term.
Only one at-large position is to be decided on the Neosho City Council. Incumbent Matt Persinger is the only candidate.
Registration
Voter registration for the April 8 city and school elections ends on March 12.
Campaigns and Politics
City, school posts, bond issues to be decided by voters April 8
- Campaigns and Politics
-
-
Missouri voters endorse state Proposition C
Missouri voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a key provision of President Barack Obama’s health care law, sending a clear message of discontent to Washington and Democrats less than 100 days before the midterm elections. With about 70 percent of the vote counted late Tuesday, nearly three-quarters of voters had supported the measure.
-
Neosho voters say ‘no’ to property tax
A proposal to levy a property tax to help bail the city of Neosho out of its financial meltdown failed to muster even 40 percent approval from voters in Tuesday’s election.
-
Jasper County choose incumbents for posts
Voters in Jasper County on Tuesday tabbed the incumbents for two positions, Linda Williams as circuit clerk and John Bartosh for the Republican nomination as presiding commissioner.
-
Pittsburg voters reject sales tax increase
A proposed quarter-cent city sales tax increase in Pittsburg for street repairs was defeated Tuesday by voters, 1,243 to 1,031. The margin was 55 percent “no” votes to 45 percent “yes” votes. The totals are based on complete, but unofficial, returns from the Crawford County clerk’s office.
-
Ruestman receives GOP nod; Krueger prevails in circuit clerk bid
Republicans in Newton County on Tuesday overwhelmingly selected a state lawmaker to be their nominee for presiding county commissioner, according to complete but unofficial returns. Current state Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, of Joplin, with a total of 6,125 votes, led a field of four GOP hopefuls.
-
Bill White beats Shelly Dreyer for nomination
An intense and costly battle for the Republican nomination for Missouri’s 129th District House seat concluded Tuesday with a lopsided victory for William “Bill” White, who is seeking to fill the seat being vacated by Ron Richard.
-
Moran holds lead in tight Kansas race
Western Kansas U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran held the lead over Todd Tiahrt late Tuesday night in a contentious battle for the Republican nomination for a U.S. Senate seat from Kansas.
-
Calloway defeats Titterington in 3rd District GOP race
Terry Calloway defeated Chad Titterington Tuesday in the Republican primary race for the 3rd District seat of the Kansas House of Representatives.
-
Former legislator leads race for Senate seat
A former legislator and sheriff from the Bolivar area had a wide lead for the Republican nomination for the Missouri Senate District 28 seat, according to incomplete returns Tuesday night. Mike Parson, 54, of Bolivar, the former state representative in House District 133, was the leader with 12,723 votes.
-
Long, Eckersley win nods in 7th district
Billy Long, a Springfield auctioneer, real estate salesman and former radio talk show host, won the Republican nomination for Congress from Missouri’s 7th District on Tuesday, while the Democratic nod went to Scott Eckersley, an attorney from Kimberling City who at one time worked for former GOP Gov. Matt Blunt.
- More Campaigns and Politics Headlines
-
Missouri voters endorse state Proposition C
Patz Suspect's Sister: I Went to Police in 1980s
Diplomatic Expulsions Follow Fresh Syria Report
15 Dead in Northern Italy's 5.8-magnitude Quake
Angry Birds Spreading Their Wings
Witness Describes Fla. Face-chewing Attack
Man Falls Off Crane, Dies After Police Standoff
Russia Condemns Ally Syria Over Massacre of 108
Dairy Farm Uses Chiropractor to Help Cows
Unexpected Smog in Pristine National Parks
Air Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing
New Ticks Spread Across Southeast, Diseases Rise
Bring Your Own Tech Programs Charge Up Students
Pope's Butler Vows to Help Vatican Investigation
Mother of Allegedly Abused Girl Denies Claims
Raw Video: 19 Dead in Qatar Shopping Mall Fire
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
