JOHNSON COUNTY – There are only a few days left until the April 4 municipal election, and Johnson County Clerk Diane Thompson is offering a few reminders.
Absentee voting begins six weeks before every election, and no-excuse voting begins two weeks before. On Thursday afternoon, Thompson told the Star-Journal that absentee voting has been slow this year.
“In-person absentee has picked up a little since we started no-excuse voting,” she added. “That continues to be available.”
No-excuse voting is available in person at the Johnson County Courthouse from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 1, and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, April 3. Polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 4.
Thompson said curbside voting is available at the courthouse for absentee voting and at all polling locations on Election Day.
Thompson said the Johnson County Elections Office typically plans for a 20-25% registered voter turnout for elections that have tax issues on the ballot, especially if they are county-wide. However, she said the last two had an 8-12% turnout.
“Even the sales tax questions aren’t bringing voters out like they used to anymore,” she said. “I don’t know what the downturn in voter turnout is, but hopefully with the questions being talked about in the community, the candidate forum, the newspaper articles, hopefully people will get out and vote next week.”
Thompson noted there are four county-wide contests and ballot questions, so every voter will have multiple things to vote on, in addition to other contested races or ballot issues for the district they live in.
She encouraged voters to view the live-stream video from the candidate forum hosted by the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, March 29. The video can be found on the Warrensburg Star-Journal Facebook page and will eventually be shared by the Chamber on its social media and website. It included candidates for Johnson County Community Health Services Board of Trustees and Western Missouri Medical Center Board of Trustees and information from Thompson and City of Warrensburg representatives on some of the ballot questions.
Sample ballots are available in the Voter Registration office or by visiting the county website.
For more information, visit www.jococourthouse.com or contact the Voter Registration office at 660-747-7414.
The following contested candidates and issues will be on Johnson County ballots, although ballots will vary depending on where a voter lives.
Shall the City of Warrensburg, Missouri, impose a sales tax of three percent (3%) on all tangible personal property retail sales of adult use marijuana sold in the City of Warrensburg, Missouri?
Shall the City Council of the City of Warrensburg, Missouri be authorized to increase its general sales tax by one percent for the purpose of providing funds for the City, with one-half (1/2) of such taxes collected to be used for public safety in the City and one-half (1/2) of such taxes collected to be used for general purposes of the City including but not limited to additional staffing, increased compensation and benefits for employees, and infrastructure and capital improvements for the City?
Shall the City of Holden, Missouri, impose a sales tax of three percent (3%) on all retail sales of adult use marijuana sold in the City of Holden, Missouri?
Shall the City of Knob Noster, Missouri impose a city sales tax of Three Percent (3%) on the sales of adult use marijuana sold at retail?
Shall Public Water Supply District No. 3 of Johnson County, Missouri, issue its sewerage system revenue bonds in the amount of $5,000,000 for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, extending, improving and equipping common sewer treatment facilities to serve properties within the District, the cost of operation and maintenance of said sewerage system and the principal of and interest on said revenue bonds to be payable solely from the revenues derived by the District from the operation of its sewerage system, including all future improvements and extensions thereto?
Shall Johnson County, Missouri impose a countywide sales tax of three percent (3%) on all tangible personal property retail sales of adult use marijuana sold in Johnson County, Missouri?
Shall the Board of Education of the Kingsville R-I School District, Missouri, without an estimated increase in the current debt service property tax levy, borrow money in the amount of Two Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,200,000) for the purpose of providing funds to repair and replace roofs; to complete foundation and masonry repairs; to complete renovations on District-wide facilities; to construct, equip, and furnish new safety and security systems for the school facility; to the extent funds are available, complete other repairs and improvements to the existing facilities of the District; and issue general obligation bonds for the payment thereof.
If this proposition is approved, the adjusted debt service levy of the School District is estimated to not increase and remain at $0.7476 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property.
Tonyea R. Inglis (incumbent), T. Alex Haun (incumbent), Aaron W. Hynds and Matthew D. Ferguson.
Chris Postlethwait (incumbent), Whitney Brown (incumbent), Justin Powell and Matthew D. West Sr.
Paul Bertschy (incumbent), Grant Jones (incumbent), Candie Howard and Shea Marsh Figal.
Aaron N. Davis, John Davis (incumbent), Karla Warner, Michael “Mike” Nussbaum (incumbent).
Greg Hassler (incumbent) and Stephanie Truex.
Jacqulin Langston, Darlene Buckstead (incumbent), Rachel Gifford, Kay Stauffer (incumbent), David Renck and Raymond James.
Kit Lindsay and Ronda Davis.
