Municipal election sees smaller than usual voter turnout
April 7, 2021
Sheila Harris
With a turnout of 6.69 percent of Barry County registered voters - a number Barry County Clerk Joyce Ennis says is a bit lower than the usual 10 or 11 percent turnout - voters cast a total of 1,483 ballots in municipal elections Tuesday.
The majority of voters were in favor of the continuation of the one-half cent county-wide sales tax levy, which will cover capital improvements to roads and bridges over the next five years. Votes cast were 1,202 in favor, 250 votes against it.
The Barry County Health Department Board of Trustees race sparked the most interest, with a total of 3,112 votes cast to choose three people in the four-man race.
Former Missouri State Senator, David Sater, drew the most votes with 1,125; Paul Strahl was second, with 758; James Brasel received 631 votes; and Roger Schnackenberg garnered 574.
In contested races for area school board positions, Purdy voters cast ballots for two open positions on R-II board in favor of Reuben Henderson and Ken Terry, who received 104 and 91 votes respectively. The third candidate, Kelli Stephens, received 55 votes.
In the Wheaton R-III District, a close race put Chris Ray and Kevin Schlessman on top in the four-person race, with 126 and 106 votes, respectively. Meagan McCullah followed with 43 votes. Timothy Peckham received 25 votes.
In the Shell Knob Number 78 School District’s four-person contest, voters favored Bob Stewart, with 97 votes, and Donna Lehr, with 66 votes. Opponents Sandra S. Cupps and Carla Hartwell, received 61 and 17 votes, respectively.
A hotly contested four-person race for Monett R-I School Board positions put Ken Gaspar and A. J. Bahl on top, with the former receiving 126 votes, and the latter receiving 124. Runners-up, Maella Blalock and Kaley Thigpen, received 80 and 74 votes, respectively.
In the Wheaton Fire Protection District, 84 voters cast ballots in favor of an additional tax levy, while 76 voters were against it.
Voters also cast ballots in favor of an additional tax levy for the Capps Creek Special Road District, and voters in the Exeter Special Road District voted to retain their current levy.
Voters in Cassville, Washburn, Seligman, Exeter and Wheaton voted in favor of granting Barry Electric and its subsidiaries rights-of-way for electric and fiber-optic infrastructure.
Local city council and village races either featured no contests, or the same number of candidates filed as there were open positions.
An interesting situation developed in the Emerald Beach Village Proposition One question, which asked for an increase in the general maintenance fund for homeowners. Votes were split 50/50, with 35 voters casting ballots for the increase, while 35 voters were against it.
“After the ballot is officially certified, which will happen Tuesday, April 13, a recount of the votes can be conducted if Emerald Beach requests it,” said county clerk, Joyce Ennis. “If a requested recount reveals there is still a tie-vote, a special election for Emerald Beach can be held to decide the question.”
Emerald Beach voters did approve Proposition Two, with a vote of 44 in favor of the proposition and 25 against. Proposition Two will allow the village to forego annual elections if the number of candidates who file is equal to the number of open positions.
Write-in candidates were chosen as commissioners in several road district races. In Butterfield, of eight write-in candidates, Rusty Dilbeck received the majority, with nine votes.
Viola Special Road District had nine write-in candidates for one open commissioner spot. Gary Ashford topped the field with 12 votes.
In the village of Emerald Beach, where one candidate (Matthew McBride) filed, John Schmeltz and John Plumlee received winning write in votes, from a field of 12 write-in candidates.
Sheila Harris
With a turnout of 6.69 percent of Barry County registered voters - a number Barry County Clerk Joyce Ennis says is a bit lower than the usual 10 or 11 percent turnout - voters cast a total of 1,483 ballots in municipal elections Tuesday.
The majority of voters were in favor of the continuation of the one-half cent county-wide sales tax levy, which will cover capital improvements to roads and bridges over the next five years. Votes cast were 1,202 in favor, 250 votes against it.
The Barry County Health Department Board of Trustees race sparked the most interest, with a total of 3,112 votes cast to choose three people in the four-man race.
Former Missouri State Senator, David Sater, drew the most votes with 1,125; Paul Strahl was second, with 758; James Brasel received 631 votes; and Roger Schnackenberg garnered 574.
In contested races for area school board positions, Purdy voters cast ballots for two open positions on R-II board in favor of Reuben Henderson and Ken Terry, who received 104 and 91 votes respectively. The third candidate, Kelli Stephens, received 55 votes.
In the Wheaton R-III District, a close race put Chris Ray and Kevin Schlessman on top in the four-person race, with 126 and 106 votes, respectively. Meagan McCullah followed with 43 votes. Timothy Peckham received 25 votes.
In the Shell Knob Number 78 School District’s four-person contest, voters favored Bob Stewart, with 97 votes, and Donna Lehr, with 66 votes. Opponents Sandra S. Cupps and Carla Hartwell, received 61 and 17 votes, respectively.
A hotly contested four-person race for Monett R-I School Board positions put Ken Gaspar and A. J. Bahl on top, with the former receiving 126 votes, and the latter receiving 124. Runners-up, Maella Blalock and Kaley Thigpen, received 80 and 74 votes, respectively.
In the Wheaton Fire Protection District, 84 voters cast ballots in favor of an additional tax levy, while 76 voters were against it.
Voters also cast ballots in favor of an additional tax levy for the Capps Creek Special Road District, and voters in the Exeter Special Road District voted to retain their current levy.
Voters in Cassville, Washburn, Seligman, Exeter and Wheaton voted in favor of granting Barry Electric and its subsidiaries rights-of-way for electric and fiber-optic infrastructure.
Local city council and village races either featured no contests, or the same number of candidates filed as there were open positions.
An interesting situation developed in the Emerald Beach Village Proposition One question, which asked for an increase in the general maintenance fund for homeowners. Votes were split 50/50, with 35 voters casting ballots for the increase, while 35 voters were against it.
“After the ballot is officially certified, which will happen Tuesday, April 13, a recount of the votes can be conducted if Emerald Beach requests it,” said county clerk, Joyce Ennis. “If a requested recount reveals there is still a tie-vote, a special election for Emerald Beach can be held to decide the question.”
Emerald Beach voters did approve Proposition Two, with a vote of 44 in favor of the proposition and 25 against. Proposition Two will allow the village to forego annual elections if the number of candidates who file is equal to the number of open positions.
Write-in candidates were chosen as commissioners in several road district races. In Butterfield, of eight write-in candidates, Rusty Dilbeck received the majority, with nine votes.
Viola Special Road District had nine write-in candidates for one open commissioner spot. Gary Ashford topped the field with 12 votes.
In the village of Emerald Beach, where one candidate (Matthew McBride) filed, John Schmeltz and John Plumlee received winning write in votes, from a field of 12 write-in candidates.
