‘Local voters’ guide’ coming April 1
The April 7 General Municipal Election is approaching, and the Ozark County Times will publish a special local Ozark County voter’s guide in its April 1 edition to help residents learn what will be on their ballots before heading to the polls.
That edition will feature a detailed explanation of each of the ballot measures, as well as candidate profiles for each of the contested races, a sample ballot and more.
Local ballot measures
Voters will determine these ballot measures:
• Ozark County Ambulance District Use Tax - “Shall the Ozark County Ambulance District be authorized to collect a local use tax at the same rate as the local sales tax currently imposed by the Board under Section 321.522 RSMo, provided that if the local sales tax rate is reduced or raised by voter approval, the local use tax rate shall also be reduced or raised by the same action? Yes or no.”
• Ozark County tax exemption: “Shall the County of Ozark exempt eligible taxpayers from certain tax increases on eligible taxpayers’ primary residence above the liability incurred during the initial credit year? Yes or no.”
• Special Dora School Levy Election Proposition K.I.D.S: “Shall the Board of Education of the Dora R-III School District, Missouri, for the purpose of providing additional funds for maintaining its facilities, retaining quality certified and support staff, and meeting the operating expenses of the District, be authorized to increase the operating tax levy to $3.3944 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation in Tax Year 2026 and to $3.5838 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation in Tax Year 2027?
“(If this Proposition is approved, the District plans voluntary reductions to the District’s debt service tax levy of $0.0900 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation in Tax Year 2026 and an additional reduction of $0.1894 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation in Tax Year 2027, resulting in the total tax levy of the District to remain unchanged.) Yes or no.”
Contested races
Gainesville School Board: The largest number of candidates in Ozark County filed for the Gainesville School Board where three open seats, each holding a 3-year term, are coming open this spring. There are eight candidates vying for those positions.
The seats coming open are those of current school board members Marti Warden and Corey Hillhouse, as well as Jeff Lane, who ran and was elected into a 1-year term last year left open by Jerry Kiger, who resigned in order to become the high school science teacher. The position as a school employee rendered Kiger ineligible to serve on the school board.
Two of the incumbents, Warden and Lane, have refiled to run for their seats again. Hillhouse chose not to file for this year’s election.
In addition to the incumbents, five new candidates have filed: Will Johnson, Ashley Hambelton, Laramie Johnson, Wes Uchtman, Heather Bushner and Amy Freeman.
Lutie School Board: The Lutie school board has three total seats coming open with four candidates filing. Two of the seats come with 3-year terms and one has a 1-year term.
The contested race comes for the one seat with a 2-year term. It was occupied by Shanna Clayton, who resigned last year moving out of the school district, making her ineligible to serve on the school board. Ryan Garrison was appointed to fulfill her term last year, and he has filed to run for that seat again. Dan Drury has filed against him.
The other two seats, each with a 3-year term, were occupied by Matthew Shockey and Robert Edwards. Neither incumbent chose to refile for the position. Instead, two new candidates filed and will serve in that capacity: Wanda Deforest and Travis Carlile.
Bakersfield School Board
At Bakersfield, five candidates have filed for four open school board seats.
The school board has three seats coming open, each with a 3-year term. The three incumbents currently serving in those positions refiled. No one filed against them; therefore, they will serve the next 3-year terms. Those members are: Matthew Evans, Tim Watlington and Darren Johnston.
There is also one seat coming open with a 1-year term. That seat was vacated by former school board member Chris Bales after he resigned last year to take the building trades and advanced welding teaching position at the school, which renders him ineligible to serve on the board. There are two people who have filed for that seat, leading to a contested race. Those candidates are: Stanton Cory Lamb and Jana Gauley.
Dora School Board
At Dora, only two candidates filed for the three open positions on the school board; therefore, there will be no election and the school board will appoint a designee to fill the third position. The seats coming open are those that are currently occupied by Cass Martin, Jerry Moritz and Dylan Leroy, who completed Lindsay Sellers’ remaining term after she resigned to become the school’s music teacher, leaving her ineligible to serve on the school board.
Martin and Moritz refiled for their positions. Leroy did not.
Thornfield School Board
The Thornfield School will also be exempt from hosting an election for its school board this year, as the number of candidates who have filed there equals the number of seats coming open.
The school board has four total seats coming open, three with 3-year terms and one with a 1-year term.
For the three seats with 3-year terms incumbents Terry Ewing, Donnie Cunningham and William Mitchell Cook have refiled for those positions. No other candidates filed against them.
The seat with a 1-year term was left open after the resignation of Thornfield School Board member Steve Clodfelter. Corey Chambliss has filed for that position, and no one else filed.
As the number of open positions equal the number of candidates, there are no contested races.
Upcoming guide
The guide will appear in the April 1 issue of the Ozark County Times, giving voters nearly a week to review the information before Election Day. The Times is currently accepting paid advertisements for that section. Contact Jenny Yarger at jenny@ozarkcountytimes.com for more information.