Allen County voters overwhelmingly approved renewal of a sales tax funding maintenance and improvements at Allen County Hospital Tuesday. Unofficial results from Tuesday’s General Election indicated 1297 votes in favor to 448 against. La Harpe voters narrowly approved a 1.5 percent sales tax for street and other infrastructure improvements, by a 32-30 margin. Voters in Garnett approved a one percent sales tax for construction of a new swimming pool and park and other improvements by a 337-180 margin. A proposed .15 percent sales tax for Economic Development in Chanute did not pass as 463 voters were in favor and 699 were against.
In the one contested race for Iola City Council, Nicholas Lohman was re-elected to his Ward 3 position over Myra Gleason. Candidates in Wards 2 and 4 and Mayor Steve French were unopposed Tuesday. Ward one is being filled by write-in, as are two Council seats in Humboldt, and those races will be decided at the vote canvass by Allen County Commissioners next Monday.
In the other contested races in Allen County, John Masterson, Lisa Wicoff and John Wilson were elected to the Iola USD 257 Board of Education, incumbent Robin Griffin-Lohman finishing 5th among five candidates. Ronald Knavel, Sharln Thompson and Cynthia Carr won seats on the La Harpe City Council and Brad Barrere and Michael Stodgell were elected to the Moran City Council.
In Garnett Susan Wettstein won a three sided race for City Commission, taking nearly 59 percent of the vote over Justin Thompson and Heather Wadewitz.
Chanute City Commissioner Tim Egner was defeated in his re-election bid Tuesday, with Tim Harding, Jacob LaRue and Kevin Berthot winning the three available seats. Steven Cunningham, Heather Guernsey, and Jennifer May won seats on the Chanute USD 43 Board of Education and Neosho County Community College Trustee positions went to Bryan Schulz, Kathryn Taylor, and Michael De La Torre. Kathy Brazle and Mark Stich won the two Neosho County positions on the Southwind Extension District board.
In Coffey County, Burlington USD 244 full terms were won by Ronald Hess Jr., Nolan Stawder and Lucas Allen, while Martin Ernst won a spot on the Burlington City Council Maxi Berryman has a three vote lead on Michael Springeman for a Ward 3 position that may not be decided until provisional ballots are reviewed. Bill Otto was elected mayor of LeRoy, and Dan Haller, Ty Skillman and Deb Stukey were elected to the New Strawn City Council.
Results from Woodson County races saw Belinda Dyer and Tori O Hare win Southwind Extension District board positions, and Charles Bishop, Michelle McVay and Luke Rogers elected to the Woodson USD 366 Board of Education. Randy Schumacher was elected Toronto Mayor with Robert Bucy and Chad Altis to the City Council.
