The city of Trenton will have a new Mayor and the Trenton R-9 School Board will have one new member. A city councilman lost his re-election bid by the slimmest of margins. Grundy County’s municipal election on Tuesday saw a 24% voter turnout with a total of 1,382 votes cast.
Jackie Soptic carried all four wards and absentees en route to collecting 472 votes to become the next Mayor of Trenton. Nick McHargue had 245 and Tyler Willey 98.
In Trenton’s third ward, Timothy Meinecke edged Incumbent Robert Romesburg in the unofficial results, winning by one vote 69 to 68. Harry Kately had 45 and Michael Optiz had 12. Winning as unopposed candidates for the city council were Lou Fisher in 1st Ward (143), Calvin Brown in 2nd Ward (123), and John Dolan in 4th Ward (257).
The top three in votes for seats on the Trenton R-9 Board of Education are Brandon Gibler (635); Ronda Lickteig (597); and Andy Burress (537). Robin Chambers was next (524) followed by Jason Hostetler (402) and Joshua Shuler (269). Lickteig, a long-time news reporter, and editor in Trenton will be serving her first term on the school board.
Chosen from among six candidates for three seats on the Pleasant View R-6 Board of Education were Timothy Miller (113); Ben Thomas (110); and Damien Little (104). Others were Casey Kitchen (51), Megan DeVorss (48), and Jeanette Hudson (43).
Both the city of Trenton and Grundy County marijuana sales tax issues passed easily. Each will have a three percent sales tax on adult-use marijuana, but the amount will not be stacked. The city issue got 79% (658-171) and the county issue 73% (996-366).
No one filed, and there were no declared write-in candidates, for two seats on the Grundy County Nursing Home District Board. Results will be determined after the county clerk’s office reviews the 152 write-ins.
Voters in both Brimson and Galt approved questions to forgo an election if the exact number of candidates equals positions that are open. It passed in Brimson 10 to 4 and it passed in Galt 12 to 5.
Road and bridge levies were approved by seven townships in Grundy County, Wilson, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Marion, and Myers Township.
Mercer County results show a 21-and-a-half percent voter turnout for the election with 527 votes cast. The marijuana sales tax question received 71 percent approval (374-144).
Selected from among five candidates for three positions on the Princeton R-5 Board of Education were Karla Meinke (238), Marcie Davis (237), and Mitch Reger (232).
Taking seats for three-year terms on the North Mercer Board of Education were Heath West (116), Dana Stark (112), and Matt Davis (67). The one-year term on the board goes to Makella Hagan (73).
In the city of Princeton, Peggy Constable defeats Mike Homedale (46-37) for the north ward council position. Jimmie Rogers was unopposed for south ward council.
Road district levies in Mercer County were approved in Harrison, Lindley, Madison, Marion, Medicine, Ravanna, Somerset, and Washington townships.
Dwayne Place won a seat on the Mercer County Fire Protection District board. A seat on the Medicine Creek Fire Protection District board will be determined by the write-in ballots.
It was nearly an 18% (17.7%) voter turnout in Livingston County with 1,657 votes cast.
Two seats on the Livingston County health center board went to Sonja Daley (798) and Clayton Vadnais (791).
Chosen from six candidates for the Chillicothe Board of Education were David Neal (948), Brice Walker (885), and Allison Pickering (794).
It was a close race for 1st Ward councilman in Chillicothe with Dowell Kincaid edging Reed Dupy by one vote (218-217). There also was a close race for the 3rd Ward council member with Stacey Soper defeating Joshua Fosdick (58-55).
By a two-thirds majority, voters decided to extend the one-half percent city sales tax for capital improvements (668-270). Road levies were approved by the townships of Blue Mound, Jackson, Medicine, and Rich Hill in the Livingston County election.
There were 812 ballots cast in Daviess County. The marijuana sales tax question was approved by three-fourths of the voters. (604-200).
Elected to the Gallatin R-5 school board were Amy Heldenbrand (350), Debra Sweatman (308), and Jeffrey Scott Donovan (261).
Winning seats on the Winston school board are Amber Estep (67), Karla Youtsey (64), and Hydi Sheetz (52).
Chosen for the Pattonsburg school board from the three counties (Daviess, Gentry, and DeKalb) were Justin Bret Hangley, (91), Josh Hulett (83), and Amy McCrary (72).
In the community of Gallatin, Barbara Ballew was re-elected mayor (235) over a declared write-in candidate. The east ward alderman goes to Kenny King (87) and west ward to Richard Granville Curtis (132).
Gallatin’s capital improvement sales tax won 69% support (202-90).
Pattonsburg’s no election ordinance passed (20-16) while a similar question for Winston ended in a tie vote (7-7). Results from Daviess and Caldwell County for the Hamilton R-2 Board of Education show the top three as Jacyln Jo Ford (336), Jared McGinley (290), and Larry Allen (256).
Sullivan County had 642 ballots cast. The marijuana sales tax issue received 81% approval (513-119). Sullivan County Memorial Hospital’s sales tax of one-half a percent had a larger margin of support at 88%. (564-76)
Patrons of the Green City School District gave nearly 60% approval to a special bond issue (162-109). Chosen for the Green City school board were Thomas Christen (177), Brody Fude (163), and Jason Salas (160).
Selected to the Linn County R-1 Board of Education, with results from Sullivan and Linn counties, were Rachel Foster Neal (135), Chad Gooch (131), and Bryon Rojas (91).
There were narrow margins on ballot issues to forgo an election when the exact number of candidates file for seats that are open. Green City approved it 58-57. Humphreys defeated it 2 to 1. (only 3 votes cast).
Winning the contest for Unionville’s Board of Education were Jason Rouse (421), Bradley Ream (383), and C-L Vestal (347). Chosen for the Putnam County Health Department board were Connie Michael (474) and Nettie Lewis (358).
Putnam County voters gave 71% approval to the marijuana sales tax (417-167).
Unionville voters approved two issues including $3,000,000 in revenue bonds for water and sewer improvements, which had 81% approval (134-31) and the local use tax had 59% passage (97-66).
Meadville School District voters selected for the Board of Education Cody Smith (116), Mason Kiehl (108), and Teresa Friesner (95).
Patrons of the Marceline School District from Linn and Chariton counties gave overwhelming approval to borrow $3,000,000 for school improvements. The issue received 87% support ( 356 – 73).
Winning a five-person race for the Marceline Board of Education, with results from both counties, were Joshua Moore (346), Toni Sportsman (263), and Walter Heller (247).
Marceline voters gave 70% approval to the transportation sales tax. (162-70).
Chosen to the Brookfield City Council were Sarah Wessing (123) and Paul Frey (98). Linn County voters, with 74% approval, adopted the marijuana sales tax (745-257).
There was 79% approval for the marijuana sales tax in Harrison County (456-124)
Local propositions were approved by voters in Bethany (129-20), Ridgeway, (24-7), and Eagleville (24-2). Chosen for school board positions were Brett Kilton (47), and Matt Whitaker (27), at Ridgeway R-5; Travis McLain (56), Jason Bain (51), and David Baker (46) in Cainsville R-1.
Caldwell County passed the marijuana sale tax (766-307) with 71% approval.
Keith Gilbert was elected Hamilton Mayor (125). Chosen for the Braymer school board were Darin Kincaid (159), Levi Mallory (154), and Jacob Haley (127).
For the Polo school board, it’s Kim Snodgrass (122), Randy Howell (107), and David Vaughn (99). Polo patrons approved general obligation bonds of $1,950,000 for school improvements (121-49) with 71% approval.
