By Susan Redden

sredden@joplinglobe.com

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Jasper County voters will have plenty of candidates to choose from when they go to the polls on Aug. 5.

There are 10 candidates running in three contested races on the Republican primary ballot.

Incumbent Jim Honey will face challengers Craig J. Putnam and Blane Mitchell in the race for Eastern District county commissioner, while Rita Hunter, also an incumbent, will face challengers Angie Casavecchia Ashens and J.L. “Monty” Morgan in the contest for public administrator.

Four people have filed for county coroner, now held by Jerry Neil, who is not seeking an additional term.

If voters want to decide the county races, they’ll have to vote in August, because all but one of those choices will be final on the Republican ballot in the primary. The only office to be contested in the November general election is coroner, where J.D. Love, running on the Democrat ticket, will face the winner of the Republican primary.

Among the posts to be filled in the election, most officeholders receive salaries of $59,000 per year. The exceptions are associate commissioners, who receive $57,000; the county sheriff, $64,000, and the county coroner, $25,000. Except for county coroner, which is set by the county, other salaries are determined by state law and based on the county’s assessed valuation.

Commissioner

The winner in the associate county commission race will represent a large area of the county geographically. Districts are divided according to population, with the Western District including Joplin, Duquesne, areas to the west and a small amount of south Carl Junction. The remainder of the county is in the Eastern District.

Among the three candidates running for Eastern District commissioner, Honey, Putnam and Mitchell all cite experience they say should qualify them for the job.

Honey, who has held the post for the past eight years, notes his work in formation of the Courthouse Beautification and Preservation Advisory Committee and grants obtained to help preserve the courthouse. He said he also administered the county road budget, was involved in consolidation of two special road districts into the county system, and was instrumental in passage of a 10-year extension of the road and bridge sales tax.

Honey said he has the “knowledge, skills and desire to serve a third term” and that he wanted to work with other officials to seek new county revenues including grants to boost income in the county budget and the road and bridge budget.

Putnam said he has experience that will be useful in county government by working as a controller for Carthage Radiologists, serving on the Carthage R-9 School Board, and working on campaign committees that helped elect Sheriff Archie Dunn and Presiding Commissioner John Bartosh, and helped pass a law-enforcement sales tax. In the medical field, he said he had gained experience in dealing with people, doctors, insurance companies, and state and federal agencies.

He said he is running for office because he likes working with and helping people, and wants to ensure the county “is the best that it can be.”