Use taxes fail, write-ins rule the night

By COREY NOLES

Statesman Staff Writer

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - With a number of heated races and bushels of write-in ballots in several township races, voters had a lot of decisions to make.

Both use tax initiatives on the ballot in Stoddard County were shot down by voters in the April 2 municipal election.

The Stoddard County Use Tax, being sought by the County Commission to recoup lost tax money from individuals purchasing vehicles out of state, went down by a 55 percent to 45 percent margin. A total of 1,238 people voted in favor of the measure with 1,491 in opposition.

The City of Dexter Use Tax met a similar fate, but by a larger margin. It was defeated 292 to 175, or 63 percent to 37 percent.

With the Missouri State legislature now taking up the issue at a statewide level (see page 3), it could still become law in the end.

Several other contested races were in the spotlight during the election.

From a pool of four individuals, Bloomfield citizens opted to elect a new mayor, Donna Medlin. Medlin defeated incumbent Mayor Scott Staggs by more than a 2-to-1 margin. Challengers Randy Supancic and Bill Pry managed to garner 16 percent and 13 percent of the vote respectively.

"I appreciate all of the votes," Medlin said immediately following her victory. "I want the citizens of Bloomfield to contact me with their needs and concerns, as well as to be involved. I will do my best to be efficient with our city tax dollars and I invite the public to attend all of our meetings."

Three Bloomfield Aldermanic seats will welcome new faces to the table next week. Kim Johnson ran uncontested in the race for South Ward Alderman-the seat that was surrendered by Randy Supancic as he ran for Mayor.

Former Alderman Pat Wilson defeated interim Alderman I.J. Schatz to take back the seat she once occuppied.

Tammy Roper ran uncontested for the seat held by newly-elected Mayor Donna Medlin.

The Richland School Board race also had a hefty share of competition. Hollie Wheeler Hughes and Jason Blunt won the two available seats on the board, defeating incumbent David DeJournett, Kevin McCLung, Mark Miller and Kyle Mitchell.

Several township board positions faced opposition, but Liberty Township took center stage with five registered write-ins on the ballot.

Winning the two vacant seats were Ronnie Ellsworth and Ricky Stearns. Challengers Terry Battles, Shelley McClintock, J. Allen Rowland and Joe Sells pulled down a substantial amount of votes, but not enough to sway the election.

The Castor Township results from its clerk race won't be known until later today. Stoddard County Clerk Joe Watson said 23 different people were named as write-ins and it will have to be looked over again. The problem is that there was only a total of 46 votes cast in the race -- to be divided between 23 candidates. That means that a candidate could win with as few as three votes.

Four candidates were also up for the Castor Township Board seats. Ronald Williams and Randall McCollom won the spots and defeaed Henry Kestner and Melvin Propst.

Following is a final list all only contested races including vote totals:

ADVANCE SCHOOL (3 yr term)

Kennedy 150

Jones 143

Seger 83

ADVANCE SCHOOL 1 year

Schmidt 129

Lorch 112

BELL CITY SCHOOL

Abner 133

McKee 76

Thompson 154

RICHLAND SCHOOL

DeJournett 74

McClung 45

Miller 44

Blunt 125

Mitchell 37

Hughes 125

PUXICO SCHOOL

McLean 320

Modglin 121

Clark 331

ADVANCE WARD 2

Schmidt 17

Shirrell 45

DEXTER

ALDERMAN WARD 3

Taylor 46

Dudley 37

LIBERTY

TREASURER

Crow 553

Minton 543

LIBERTY BOARD MEMBER

Ellsworth 526

Jackson 110

Stearns 508

McClintock 220

Battles 276

Rowland 119

Sells 69

BELL CITY MAYOR

Pikey 81

Elem 34

BELL CITY ALDERMAN WARD 2

Burton 43

Elem 12

ESSEX WARD 1

Galloway 34

Shell 18

ESSEX W2

Miller 8

Kildow 23

PUXICO MAYOR

McLean 126

Walker 95

PUXICO

ALDERMAN WARD 2

Dunivan 63

Hemby 76

DUDLEY MAYOR

Mullins 51

Harms 20

DUDLEY

ALDERMAN WARD 1

Dugger 28

Carpenter 18

DUDLEY

ALDERMAN WARD 2

Robinson 14

Keena 9

ELK BOARD

MEMBERS

Barker 15

Martin 45

Below 32

BLOOMFIELD ALDERMAN WARD 1

Wilson 131

Schatz 40

BLOOMFIELD MAYOR

Pry 44

Supancic 54

Staggs 73

Medlin 157

CASTOR BOARD MEMBERS

Kestner 189

Williams 206

Propst 97

McCollom 204

NEW LISBON BOARD MEMBERS

Langston 42

Morgan 68

Hull 66

STODDARD COUNTY AMBULANCE

Huey 323

Stevens 315

CASTOR TOWNSHIP ROAD QUESTION

Yes 202

No 242

DEXTER USE TAX

Yes 175

No 292

ESSEX SPECIAL ROAD DISTRICT

Yes 94

No 66

NEW LISBON ROAD QUESTION

Yes 54

No 53

COUNTY USE TAX

Yes 1238

No 1491