Gasconade County Republican

An election will need to be held in the Gasconade County R-2 School District even though one of the three candidates registering for two positions on the Board of Education has withdrawn from the race.

Election officials in Franklin County realized on Thursday that Mel Wurth of Gerald was registered as a candidate in both the school district and the city of Gerald elections scheduled for April 3. In the Municipal Election process, a candidate is only allowed to seek office in one race in the same election cycle, according to state statutes cited in Chapter 115.351.

Wurth was informed Friday that he could not seek election in two separate races. Election officials in Franklin County said Wurth chose to continue his bid for election to the Gerald Board of Alderman.

“He was very cooperative and withdrew from the R-2 School board race,” said Debbie Door, county clerk in Franklin.

Door explained that since Wurth withdrew after the Jan. 17 deadline to register, the school district still must have an election even though there will only be two names on the ballot for two positions.

“Because the school district filed with the county to hold an election, they still have to hold the election because the candidate withdrew his name from the ballot,” said Door citing Chapter 115.124 of the Missouri Revised Statutes.

Incumbent R-2 Board of Education member Brenda Sieckmann had registered for re-election to a second 3-year term on the opening morning (Dec. 13) of the month-long filing period. Wurth also filed as a candidate that morning. They were joined in the registration process by Wendell Bryan Curtman who filed his notice of candidacy on Jan. 12.

John Schaefferkoetter, the other incumbent on the board, did not seek re-election citing plans to focus his efforts on helping the Owensville Lions Club develop its ball field and sports complex project.

“It happens every couple of years,” said Door. “It doesn’t happen very often.”

R-2 Superintendent Dr. Russ Brock said he contacted the school district’s attorney who told him the law was designed to prevent a situation where potential candidates might be talked out of running to avoid having a political subdivision pay for an election.

“They didn’t want a situation where people are asked to not run to save (a district) from election costs,” said Brock.

Brock said the school district budgets funds each year for election costs. “We always put it there because we never know if  we’re going to have an election,” he said.

The budget figure is based on costs for elections held in previous years.

“It’s aggravating that we have to have an election and spend the money,” said Brock.

He noted that a resident of the district could run for school board if they were already an elected official of another political subdistrict such as a city alderman, or member of a fire or ambulance board.

“You could be serving an elected position and seek a second office,” he said. He said the law was specific that a person could not seek two separate elected positions in the same election cycle.

Door said election officials were entering the names of candidates into a statewide data base when the discovery was made. “It came up his name was on the ballot twice,” said Door. “(The director of elections) noticed that name sounded very familiar.”

Wurth told The Republican he found out about his removal from the R-2 ballot through a phone call from Jane Luechtefeld, a clerk in Door’s office.

After being told that his name could only appear on the ballot once, he said he decided to drop out of the race for school board for several reasons.

First, there were three people vying for two spots. He said he figured if he dropped out no school district election would be necessary. As the district has learned, that is not the case. Also, he has no children in school and felt that those who do should do their part on the board.

Finally, he said he has been “fighting battles in Gerald” for a while and would like to work on issues there. He said being an alderman would be “more in my line.”