Southern Gasconade County voters in rural precincts will only have the county’s Proposition 1 sales tax for law enforcement services on their April 2 ballot.

Voters across the county will be asked to decided if a one-half cent sales tax should be implemented across Gasconade County to support “current and future law enforcement services for the county.”

The ballot language includes the wording “this sales tax will enable to the Sheriff’s Office to increase officer and public safety throughout Gasconade County, provide competitive wages to reduce turnover, increase patrol coverage, reduce response time, and combat drug and crime trends.”

Owensville voters to decided quarter-cent sales tax question 

for parks operations

City residents of Owensville will have two uncontested races for Board of Aldermen seats which will be on the ballot along with a question asking voters to decide a quarter-cent sales tax increase to the city’s tax base — from one-quarter cent to one-half cent — which is designated for park operations. The park sales tax question is only for city residents.

Charles (Rob) Borgmann is unopposed for re-election to his Ward 2 seat. He currently serves as president of the board. Kevin McFadden is unopposed for a Ward 1 seat. He was appointed to the seat in April 2018 and is seeking his first two-year term by election.

Uncontested races in Rosebud

Rosebud voters will have three uncontested races on their ballot along with the county law enforcement sales tax proposition.

Seeking uncontested positions for Rosebud city offices are Melissa Alexander (collector), Jennifer Griffith (alderman first ward), and Doug Bauer (alderman second ward). Each position carries a two-year term.

No GR-2 directors on ballot; 

non-election elections

There is no election for candidates to the Gasconade County R-2 School District’s Board of Education since incumbents Joyce Lowes and Russ Farrell were unopposed. Both are among candidates listed in a county public notice which includes candidates who, as allowed by state statute for certain politic subdivisions, will assume elected offices without going through an election next Tuesday since they were unopposed.

That school district includes a portion of western Franklin County surrounding the Gerald community and small segments of Crawford and Osage counties.

Others political subdivision which will not require ballot participation by voters include the Owensville Area Ambulance District as board members Kelly P. Cornwell and Leona Kurrelmeyer are both unopposed.

Also unopposed were Roger Jett and Betty Estes for the Gasconade Manor Nursing Home District’s board.

Leo Roberson was unopposed for the Bland Fire Protection District’s board.

Unopposed for the board of Peaceful Valley’s Water District No. 1 are Michael Garlock and Robert Kayser.

Pat Smith, Mary Leeper and Glen Duncan were each unopposed for seats as directors of the Gasconade County Health Department board.

The Hermann Area Ambulance District will also not have candidates on any ballot since Otto Mayer and Dennis Scheidegger are both unopposed for director seats.

The same is true for the Hermann Area District Hospital District’s board as Steve Strubberg, Timothy Puchta, Michelle Fehlings, and Dale Ridder are all unopposed.

Joey Butler, II, and Dawn Hicks are both unopposed for director seats to the Maries County R-2 School District’s board  so no election will be held in Bland or surrounding precincts for that school district.

Bland city voters will have open write-in rules applying for two seats on their Board of Aldermen (see related story).

There will be an election in the Gasconade County R-2 School District for Hermann-area voters and those in southern Montgomery County and portions of western Franklin and southern Warren.

Tim Schulte, Mike Pratte, and Dorothy (Dot) Schoening are seeking election to two seats on the Board of Education for three-year terms.

Hermann city residents will be asked to decide a street proposition seeking voter approval for aldermen there to issue $8,100,000 in general obligation bonds for repairs and improving city roads. The proposition includes new curbs, gutters and sidewalks as determined necessary.

Bruce Cox is unopposed in Ward 1 for a two-year term.

In Ward 2, Brian Chorley is being challenged by Jim Schirmer for a two-year term as alderman.

Gasconade city voters will vote for two aldermen at large. Daryl A. Miller and Michael W. Owens are the two candidates. 

In Morrison, Thomas Edward Hernandez was the only candidate to file. There are two aldermen-at-large positions to fill so write-in rules will apply for the second position.

Voting precincts across the county are open from 6 a.m. to  7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2.

Due to new and earlier deadline for the April 3 Republican, results will be online that evening at www.GasconadeCountyRepublican.com and in the April 10 print edition.