HERMANN — With 1-in-5 registered voters casting ballots across Gasconade County last week, the half-cent sales tax for law enforcement was approved, despite solid opposition in the Hermann area. The proposal was adopted by less than 200 votes, 1,143-950 (54.6 percent to 45.4 percent).

The 20-percent turnout was better than the projected showing of 15 percent, a level based on a lack of local candidates or ballot issues throughout the county.

Based on the county’s sales tax revenue received the past two years, the law enforcement tax is estimated to generate a little more than $1 million. Of that, 75 percent will stay with the Gasconade County Sheriff’s Department and 25 percent divided among Owensville, Hermann, Rosebud, Bland and Gasconade — the cities that have a certified law enforcement officer on duty. Morrison does not have a certified law enforcement officer.

The cities’ money will be based on population.

Presiding Commissioner Larry Miskel, R-Hermann, Thursday morning congratulated Sheriff Scott Eiler for his efforts to win approval of the tax. 

“This will help law enforcement; they’ll be better paid, receive more training” and that will benefit county residents, Miskel said. “That’s the reason I was in favor,” he added.

Opposition to the proposal was strong in Hermann where city officials argued the county seat should receive a larger share of the money. The sales tax proposal failed in Wards 1 and 2 and in the Little Berger precinct, which covers rural Hermann residents. Indeed, those were the only three precincts to vote against the ballot issue. In Ward 1, voters rejected the issue on a vote of 119-158 (43 percent-57 percent); Ward 2 voters defeated the measure 122-126 (49.2-50.8). Little Berger voters turned thumbs down by a vote of 87-99 (46.8-53.2).

But the measure received big support from the more rural areas, such as the Bland/Canaan precinct, which favored the issue 92-46 (66.7-33.3) and in Rosebud by a vote of 60-17 (77.9-22.1).

There were two precincts in which voters broke down the middle — Drake voters split 40-40 while voters in the Gasconade/Stolpe precinct posted a tally of 25-25.

The tax will become effective Oct. 1. County Clerk Lesa Lietzow said reimbursements received by the county through the end of the year likely will be a “minimal” amount, compared to collections received in the next year.

In light of the opposition from Hermann officials to the tax, Miskel said Thursday morning that he wants municipalities wishing to take part in the revenue-sharing plan to contact the county by letter officially signally their intent. Intergovernmental agreements will be used to set up the allocation of revenue to the cities. If the county and a city can’t reach agreement on the city’s portion, that money would be rerouted and added to the amount going to the Sheriff’s Department.

County Clerk struggles to find 

election workers

Meanwhile, this low-turnout election — which saw some election judges throughout the county dealing with long periods between voters — has Lietzow concerned about her ability to recruit polling place workers. Coupled with a 13-hour, sometimes tedious day, and the possibility of dealing with belligerent would-be voters — which happened at two precincts last week — and having an aging population, election judges are going to be more difficult to find, Lietzow said.

“There is nothing harder than finding people to work” at a polling place, Lietzow told the Commission Thursday morning meeting at Owensville City Hall. “That is the hardest part of doing an election.”

Indeed, as election was only hours away, the county clerk was scrambling to find replacements for nearly two dozen people who was scheduled to serve as election judges. Several precincts had first-time election workers  — forced to learn the process as they went along.

“There was no time to train those people,” she said, referring to new workers in the Redbird precinct.

Regarding the possibility of election judges having to deal with belligerent voters, Lietzow said she might consider asking law enforcement personnel to make regular stops at the polling places. State election laws allow for police personnel to assist with elections, if necessary. Possibly having to deal with disgruntled voters is another reason some might be reluctant to work an election, the clerk said. 

“It’s hard enough to get those four people (two Democrat judges and two Republican judges) to sit there and work” for 13 hours, Lietzow said, adding they shouldn’t have to worry about dealing with a possibly volatile situation with a voter.

“I don’t know what to do to get people to work at the polls,” she said, noting that she and her staff will be considering ways to build a roster of precinct judges as her office prepares for the upcoming August Primary and the November General elections.

“I’m going to do anything I can this summer to reach out and to get help for August and November,” she said. “It’s a real dilemma.”

And then there’s the issue of the county’s population growing older, which means more people preferring not to work, especially if they have to get out in bad weather to go to a polling place. It’s just another hurdle for the County Clerk’s Office to clear in order to fully staff polling places.

“My age limit for asking people to work is climbing,” said Lietzow.