January 26, 2008 05:20 pm
—
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.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.