Voter turnout is ‘phenomenal’ in Nov. 6 election but Gainesville levy proposal fails

Ozark County voter turnout in last week’s general election was “phenomenal,” Ozark County Clerk Brian Wise said Monday. “Numbers like this are unheard of in a midterm. It has to be in the top three that I have ever seen.” Slightly more than 55 percent of Ozark County’s 7,419 registered voters participated in the Nov. 6 election; 4,089 ballots were cast countywide. By comparison, only 2,528 people (34.13 percent of registered voters) participated in the August primary.

County-office candidates, all Republicans, ran unopposed after winning the August primary; no *Democrats had filed for county offices. 

While several state issues appeared on the ballot, the only locally contested issue was a proposal by the Gainesville R-V School District to increase its operating levy. The majority of voters in the Gainesville district continued their 20-plus years of turning down levy-increase proposals, defeating the latest measure by 150 votes: 930 yes, 1,080 no. A similar issue in the August primary was defeated by 14 votes: 690 yes, 704 no. 

The earlier proposal asked voters to approve a 75-cent per $100 assessed valuation increase all at once. In response to the defeat, the Gainesville school board put the issue back on the Nov. 6 general election ballot but divided the 75-cent increase into 25-cent increases over each of the next three years, with a 25-year sunset clause that would end the 75-cent increase in 2043. 

The district’s current operating levy is at $2.75, the state minimum. The board hoped the graduated increase to $3.25 and the 25-year limit would make the increase more acceptable to voters, but the strategy failed. 

“It’s disappointing for our students and for the future students of Gainesville schools,” superintendent Jeff Hyatt told the Times Tuesday night after the votes were totaled. “I would anticipate that we will have to reduce some staff members and redirect funds so we can take care of building maintenance. Basically, our students may have to go without some different programs, which haven’t been determined yet. Funding is going to have to be redirected to fix the roofs, which are estimated to cost about $980,000, with $200,000 to $300,000 of that needing to be done right now. It can’t wait any longer.”

The board met Monday, Nov. 12. Information from that meeting was not available at press time. Precinct-by-precinct totals from the school election will be published in next week’s Times.

A recurring theme of election defeats

Gainesville school district residents’ refusal to pass increased funding proposals is a recurring theme. 

For example, in 2008, a bond question would have continued the Gainesville school levy at its then-current level, $3.49 per $100 of assessed valuation, instead of allowing it to drop to $3.03 (the state minimum $2.75 plus a then-existing 28-cent debt service). A two-thirds majority was required to pass the bond issue. Voters turned down the proposal, 390 to 366. 

In 2010, Gainesville voters rejected a 62-cent property tax increase proposal, 892 votes to 311, leaving the levy at the state minimum of $2.75 plus the 28-cent debt service. At the time of the election, voters were paying $3.03 per $100 assessed valuation – the lowest of any of the county’s schools. The 28-cent debt service levy would have been paid off immediately if the levy-increase passed. Instead, the issue failed, and the debt service was paid off the following year. 

In November 2013, Gainesville R-5 voters rejected a 7.6 percent levy increase that would have allowed the district to borrow $750,000 to improve security and make a host of improvements. The proposal squeaked out a one-vote majority, with 354 voting yes and 353 voting no; however, a two-thirds majority was needed for the bond issue to pass. The increase would have been for 10 years.

Then came the defeated operating-levy proposals in this year’s August primary and last week’s general election.

New initiative organized

In response to the two recent defeats, a group of Gainesville school district residents are organizing a “Gainesville Community Impact Initiative,” described on the group’s Facebook page as “a proactive approach to bridge the divide in our community that continues to create barriers for the future.” Initiative members David Murphy and Doug Hawkins are hosting a meeting of the group at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26, at The Meeting Place, 434 Third St. in Gainesville. All interested persons are invited. 

The plan is to “discuss what can be done to improve our school district and the reasons why the proposition has failed twice this year. All concerns about this topic are on the table. Nothing should be dodged or ignored,” the group’s Facebook post says. 

The group has been formed by “concerned citizens that feel it is a civic duty to address these issues,” the post says. “It is not endorsed by the school district or any other public entity.”

Other Ozark County vote totals

County-office candidates, all running unopposed on the Republican ticket in the general election, received these vote totals (write-in vote totals are shown in parentheses): Raymond Gross, associate circuit judge, 3,286 (44 write-in votes); John Turner, presiding commissioner, 3,277 (76 write-ins); Brian Wise, county clerk, 3,428 (28 write-ins); Becki Strong, circuit clerk / recorder 3,422 (22 write-ins); Phyllis Gaulding Turner, county treasurer, 3,308 (37 write-ins); John Garrabrant, prosecuting attorney, 3,272 (70 write-ins); Darla Sullivan, collector, 3,392 (24 write-ins).

Wasola resident Karla Eslinger, unopposed in the general election for the 155th District state representative seat being vacated by term-limited Lyle Rowland, received 3,499 votes in Ozark County (43 write-ins).

Statewide, Republican Josh Hawley defeated incumbent Claire McCaskill for Missouri’s U.S. Senate seat. In Ozark County, Hawley received 2,999 votes; McCaskill had 915.

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat, was re-elected statewide. In Ozark County Galloway received 1,336 votes; Republican challenger Saundra McDowell received 2,415.

Incumbent 44th Judicial Circuit Judge Craig Carter, a Republican running unopposed, received 3,357 votes in Ozark County (32 write-ins). 

Statewide, Missouri Supreme Court Judges Brent Powell and Mary Rhodes Russell were returned to their positions. In Ozark County, Powell received 2,698 yes votes, 693 no votes; Russell received 2,514 yes votes, 843 no votes.

Appeals Court (southern district) Judge Jeffrey Bates was also returned to his position. In Ozark County, he received 2,559 yes votes, 810 no votes.

Amendment 1, pertaining to campaign reforms, passed statewide. In Ozark County, it received 2,136 yes votes, 1,759 no votes.

Amendments 2 and 3, and Proposition 3, all pertained to legalizing medical marijuana use in Missouri. Amendment 2 passed statewide. Here’s how Ozark County voted on the three marijuana issues:

Amendment 2: 2,056 yes votes, 1,936 no votes.

Amendment 3: 1,271 yes votes, 2,674 no votes.

Proposition C: 1,598 yes votes, 2,330 no votes.

Amendment 4, pertaining to bingo regulations, passed statewide. In Ozark County, it received 1,707 yes votes, 2,044 no votes.

Proposition B, which raised the minimum wage, passed statewide. In Ozark County, it received 2,155 yes votes and 1,810 no votes.

Proposition D, which would have increased the gasoline tax, failed statewide. In Ozark County,  it received 1,291 yes votes, 2,664 no votes.