The third attempt at passing a Gasconade County R-2 no-tax-increase bond issue on April 7 failed to achieve the four-sevenths majority vote. The final votes in Franklin and Gasconade counties were 1,281 yes and 1,181 no.

A majority of Gasconade County R-2 School District voters in Franklin County supported the bond issue request, 282 to 260, but it failed to receive a required 4/7 majority both in Franklin County and district wide.

The Gasconade County R-2 Board of Education had three open seats on the ballot. Incumbents Jason Crowe and Glenn Ely will be retaining their seats. Coming in with the third most votes was Kaylynne Niederer. Official results in Franklin and Gasconade counties showed Crowe with 1,609 votes; Ely with 1,574 votes; and Niederer with 1,175 votes. The remaining candidates were Mitchell Henderson (863 votes) and Racheal Mooney (627 votes).

Gasconade County R-2 Superintendent Dr. Jeri Kay Hardy said she appreciated the support and congratulated new board members.

“We want to thank all of the voters who went to the polls today,” Hardy said. “Congratulations to our newly elected board of education members. I know our district will continue to do what is best for kids and staff to the best of our abilities, regardless of the outcome of the bond issue.”

Bland use tax fails

The city of Bland’s request for a use tax in the same amount as the local sales tax received 20 yes to 20 no votes, failing to pass the simple majority requirement.

The Bland Board of Aldermen had the mayoral seat and two aldermen at-large positions, one with a two-year term and one with a three-year term, on the ballot. Merrilee Spurgeon received 37 votes for mayor. For the alderman at large two-year term, Shari Morgan received 27 votes to Matt Dittman’s 26 votes. No one declared for the one-year term, but three names were submitted as write-ins. Bland officials will need to review the write-ins before the position can be filled.

Property tax credit

Gasconade County voters approved, 1,910 to 1,135, an exemption for eligible taxpayers from certain tax increases on their primary residence above the liability incurred during the initial credit year.

R-1 Proposition C.A.R.E.

Gasconade County R-1 School District voters in Gasconade County approved a no-tax-increase bond issue for $3.5 million with the four-sevenths majority requirement, receiving 693 yes votes to 415 no votes.

The measure was approved by Montgomery County voters in the R-1 district by a vote of 132-75. Warren County voters in the Hermann school district approved the proposition 28-10. Overall, the proposition was approved 912-566 for a 61.7-percent margin.

OAAD sales tax approved

Voters in the Owensville Area Ambulance District (OAAD) turned out at a 33.16-percent rate for the April 7 Municipal Election and gave the half-cent sales tax proposition approval in seven of eight southern Gasconade County precincts.

OAAD patrons approved the measure by a margin of 59.97-percent, which also includes up to a half-cent use tax for operational needs, by a vote of 860 to 574. The vote by precinct, yes-no, was as follows in official balloting certified Friday afternoon by Gasconade County Clerk Lesa Lietzow and her staff.

• Bland/Canaan: 74-64

• Boulware: 32-19

• Drake: 20-14

• Owensville Ward 1: 169-80

• Owensville Ward 2: 147-80

• Rural Canaan: 199-141

• Tayloe: 99-102

•Third Creek: 103-67

• Absentee: 17-7