Maybe it was the pleasant springlike weather. Maybe it was effective information campaigns. But whatever the reason, Jefferson County voters were in the mood to say “yes” when they decided ballot issues in Tuesday’s (April 2) election.
There were 10 ballot issues spread around the county, and seven of them met favor with voters.
(See chart below for complete results.)
The turnout, with 16.9 percent of the county’s 149,752 voters braving the warm weather to cast ballots, was the highest April election turnout in the last decade, just bettering April 2018 when there was a 16.86 percent turnout.
Countywide, voters allowed Jefferson County 911 Dispatch to maintain its 1/2-cent sales tax rather than drop it to 1/4 cent. That question passed overwhelmingly, with 70.67 percent of the voters approving.
The news wasn’t as good in the county’s largest school district, Fox C-6, where 54.74 percent voted to approve a $70 million bond issue. That wasn’t enough, as it required a 4/7ths majority (57 percent). The bond issue would have financed numerous construction and renovation projects throughout the district.
The news was worse in the Dunklin Fire Protection District, as a pair of proposals fell far short of the simple majorities required.
Proposition S, a 50-cent tax increase that would have been used to hire more firefighters, only met favor with 34.14 percent of those who cast ballots.
Proposition P, a 5-cent increase to bolster the district’s pension fund, did only a little better, with 37.58 percent casting favorable votes.
Elsewhere, the dispositions were as sunny as the weather.
Hillsboro R-3 School District voters overwhelmingly (72.16 percent to 27.84 percent) approved a permanent Prop C property tax rollback waiver. The measure was made necessary after school officials discovered the district’s temporary waiver had lapsed in 2017. District officials had said if the measure had not passed, serious cuts to next school year’s budget would be necessary, and more than 72 percent of voters responded that they didn’t want that to occur. It required a simple majority.
Festus R-6 School District voters approved a 59-cent tax levy increase to fund the construction of a performing arts center, security upgrades and other improvements, easily clearing the simple majority standard with 55.43 percent approval.
The Grandview R-2 School District’s $2.75 million bond issue to fund construction of a high school addition and to update buildings needed a four-sevenths (57.14 percent) majority for passage and got it, with 58.06 percent voting yes.
De Soto School District officials asked voters to shift 15 cents from the debt service levy to the general operating levy, which would free up funds to be used on safety improvements, and Proposition Safe Schools, which required a simple majority, met favor with 54.67 percent of the voters.
A pair of tax issues in the city of De Soto also received voters’ stamps of approval.
Proposition Public Safety, a 1-cent sales tax to make improvements in the police and fire departments, was approved by a convincing 68.36 percent of voters.
Proposition L, a 16.18-cent property tax increase to make improvements to the city library, garnered 62.32 percent of the vote.
In addition to the ballot measures, voters in four cities chose new mayors, as the top spots in Hillsboro, Festus, Eureka and Byrnes Mill were open seats.
In Hillsboro, Buddy Russell made it two April elections in a row in which a write-in candidate prevailed.
Hillsboro residents wrote Russell’s name in 367 times, and he easily outpaced newcomer Marcy D. Wokurka and former Mayor Dennis K. Bradley.
Last April, write-in candidate William Brooks defeated incumbent Rick Arnold for the Ward 4 seat on the Pevely Board of Aldermen.
In Byrnes Mill, Rob Kiczenski, who was appointed to fill a mayoral vacancy, won a full two-year term over Gary Dougherty, the city’s former police chief.
Sean Flower easily outpaced Steve Grzyb and Ken Patterson to claim the mayoral seat in Eureka.
In Festus, Sam Richards prevailed over Robert “Bobby” Venz for mayor. Richards won twice on Tuesday, as he also was re-elected to the Joachim-Plattin Ambulance District’s board, along with fellow incumbent Darryl Reed.
Incumbents also ruled in the day in the two countywide elections. as Krystal Hargis and Ronald Scaggs won new six-year terms on the Jefferson College Board of Trustees. In the race for a two-year term, Retta “Susan” Tuggle narrowly defeated Roy D. Burnside.
For seats on the Jefferson County Health Department’s board, two of the three incumbents will be sworn in to new four-year terms, Dennis M. Diehl and Timothy J. Pigg. The third incumbent, John M. Scullin, finished behind James Prater for the third seat.
The following are final, unofficial results of contested races from Tuesday’s election. Incumbents are denoted with (I). Winners in bold.
JEFFERSON COUNTY 911
Proposition 9-1-1
Continue sales tax
Yes 15,301 70.67%
No 6,350 29.33%
DE SOTO SCHOOLS
Proposition Safe Schools
15-cent tax increase
Yes 1,007 54.64%
No 836 45.36%
FESTUS R-6 SCHOOLS
Proposition F
59-cent tax increase
Yes 2,066 55.43%
No 1,661 44.57%
FOX C-6 SCHOOLS
Proposition S
$70 million bond issue
(4/7ths majority required)
Yes 5,153 54.74%
No 4,260 45.26%
GRANDVIEW R-2 SCHOOLS
Proposition Safe Students
$2.75 million bond issue extension
(4/7ths majority required)
Yes 263 58.06%
No 190 41.94%
HILLSBORO R-3 SCHOOLS
Hawks Rollback Waiver
Waive Proposition C rollback
Yes 2,423 72.16%
No 935 27.84%
DE SOTO
Proposition Public Safety
1 percent sales tax increase
Yes 566 68.36%
No 262 31.64%
Proposition L
16.18-cent property tax increase for library
Yes 516 62.32%
No 312 37.68%
DUNKLIN FPD
Proposition P
5-cent property tax for pensions
Yes 363 37.58%
No 603 62.42%
Proposition S
50-cent property tax increase
Yes 325 34.14%
No 627 65.86%
JEFFERSON COLLEGE
Board of Trustees
(Full term)
Ronald Scaggs (I) 9,705 26.79%
Krystal Hargis (I) 10,665 29.44%
Darrel R. Hollinger 4,609 12.72%
Dinah Barnett 6,334 17.48%
Avery A. Fortenberry 4,914 13.56%
(Unexpired term)
Robert Vittoe 3,167 16.57%
Roy D. Burnside 6,749 35.31%
D. Vernon Cherry 2,382 12.46%
Retta "Susan" Tuggle 6,814 35.65%
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Timothy J. Pigg (I) 12,263 23.67%
John M. Scullin (I) 7,589 14.65%
James Prater 11,169 21.56%
Marc Williams 7,578 14.63%
Dennis M. Diehl (I) 12,913 24.93%
BYRNES MILL
Mayor
Rob Kiczenski 239 61.92%
Gary Dougherty 147 38.08%
Board of Alderpersons
Ward 2
Jerry Klipsch (I) 63 66.32%
Bob Mahlandt 31 32.63%
Ward 3
Mary Scheble (I) 87 71.31%
Bill Ludwig 35 28.69%
DE SOTO
City Council
Larry M. Sanders Sr. 215 27.85%
Pam Midgett 145 18.78%
Rick Whitehead 201 26.04%
Ray Chilton 209 27.07%
FESTUS
Mayor
Robert "Bobby" Venz 1,093 47.90%
Sam Richards 1,175 51.49%
City Council
Ward 2
Marcus Shepherd 77 14.92%
Tim Montgomery 213 41.28%
Kyle Wilkey (I) 220 42.64%
HILLSBORO
Mayor
Dennis K. Bradley 48 9.30%
Marcy D. Wokurka 95 18.41%
Buddy Russell (write-in) 367 71.12%
Board of Alderpersons
Ward 1
Brenda L King (I) 98 75.97%
Rick Abel (write-in) 30 23.26%
Ward 4
Joyce A. Twiggs (I) 73 56.59%
Wayne D. Kuechler 51 39.53%
PEVELY
Board of Aldermen
Ward 2
Linda Hahn (I) 72 62.61%
Russ Shackelford 42 36.52%
LAKE TEKAKWITHA
Board of Trustees
Tom Nickelson (I) 18 19.57%
John E. Bechtel 18 19.57%
Pam Laws (I) 17 18.48%
Angela Pollock 17 18.48%
Chris Pollock 11 11.96%
Rita Delmain 10 10.87%
EUREKA
Mayor
Sean Flower 1,465 69.43%
Ken Patterson 42 1.99%
Steve Grzyb 588 27.87%
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
CRYSTAL CITY
Mandie Osher (I) 235 30.64%
Patrick C. Cherry 198 25.81%
Mike Cooper 171 22.29%
Daniel Portell (I) 162 21.12%
DUNKLIN R-5
Oscar James Kasten (I) 452 33.31%
John A. Maddox IV 510 37.58%
Linda Dianne Williams 386 28.45%
FOX C-6
Judith (Judy) Smith 3,929 25.75%
James (Jim) Osia 1,386 9.08%
Carole Yount (I) 3,710 24.31%
Andrew J. Helgeson 528 3.46%
Avery A. Fortenberry 758 4.97%
Michelle Chamberlain 2,795 18.31%
Daniel (Dan) Kroupa (I) 2,090 13.70%
GRANDVIEW R-2
Timothy Brown (I) 253 36.40%
Brian Dugan (I) 260 37.41%
James Howerton Jr. 170 24.46%
HILLSBORO R-3
Rob Kruse (I) 1,766 34.44%
Brandi Gallaway 1,348 26.29%
Renee A. Sucharski (I) 1,987 38.75%
JEFFERSON R-7
Wayne Surratt (I) 340 23.26%
Tammy Grayum 207 14.16%
Lewis Kasten 166 11.35%
Justin Metiva 186 12.72%
Ryan C. Klump 251 17.17%
Shane D. Wolk 311 21.27%
NORTHWEST R-1
Jeffrey M. Hanewinkel (I) 1,074 24.29%
Joseph M. Gentile 763 17.26%
Gary Bonacker (I) 1,622 36.69%
Daniel Denbow 935 21.15%
ROCKWOOD
Loralee Mondl (I) 7,750 42.43%
Azra Ahmad 4,251 23.28%
Thomas R. Dunn 6,263 34.29%
SERVICE DISTRICTS
DE SOTO RURAL FPD
(Unexpired term)
Nathan M. Myers 754 58.91%
Larry A. Bast 511 39.92%
JOACHIM-PLATTIN AMBULANCE
Sam Richards (I) 4,225 41.14%
Darryl Reed (I) 3,141 30.58%
George "Bob" Engelbach 2,846 27.71%
ROCK TOWNSHIP AMBULANCE
Lynne Ruzicka (I) 6,367 43.26%
Christy Gay (I) 5,451 37.04%
Avery A. Fortenberry 2,804 19.05%