The Reporter newspaper, Camdenton Missouri

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published April 13, 2022

Miller County election results

(Editor’s note: Some of the municipalities on the Miller County Ballot are also in other counties. Some of the outcomes may be different once the other county votes are added. Unless stated, the results below are only the Miller County votes.)

MILLER COUNTY –A tax increase to help fund the Tuscumbia Fire Protection District has been approved by voters.

The question on the ballot stated:

“Shall the board of directors of the Tuscumbia Fire Protection District be authorized to levy in an additional levy of not more than thirty cents on the one hundred dollars of assessed valuation to provide funds for the continued operational support of the district?”

Miller County voters cast 81 votes in favor and 35 against. On the fire district’s Facebook page they thanked the voters for the approval the next day after the election.

“THANK YOU to our voters for approving the tax increase. This increase will help to better serve our patrons. The support shown is amazing. We are honored to protect such a great community.”

Other financial questions were out before the voters in Miller County with both passing.

The Miller County R-III School District put this question before the voters: (The misspellings were on the ballot)

“Shall the Board of Education of the Miller County R-III School District, Missouri, without an estimated increase in the current debt service property tax levy, borrow money in the amount of Two Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($275,000) for the purpose of providing funds to upgrade the bus fleet; to complete general facility maintenance; to the extend funds are avaliable, replace roofs and complete other repairs and improvments to the exsisting facilities of the District; and issue general obligation bonds for the payment thereof? If this propostion is approved, the adjusted debt service levy of the School District is estimated to remain unchanged at $0.3942 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property.”

School District voters cast 136 for and 20 against.

Two names were needed from three on the ballot for School Board member. Miller voters cast 131 votes for Lori Beth Buechter, 85 for Jimmy Fizer and 62 for Alisha Cline.

Some residents in Miller County are in the Cole County R-V School District and the district also wanted voters to approve borrowing over two million dollars. The question on the ballot:

“Shall the Board of Education of the Cole County R-V School District, Missouri, with an estimated no tax rate increase in the current debt service property tax levy, borrow money in the amount of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000) for the purpose of providing funds to complete the track facility; to replace roofs; to complete parking lot asphalt overlays; to upgrade District technology infrastructure; to complete site development, construct, equip, and furnish a new Preschool addition; 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 $0.2383 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property.”

Miller County votes: 103 for and 23 against. In Cole County, 353 were in favor with 50 against.

Those same voters also cast votes for the Cole County School Board, which was looking for two names from three on the ballot. Deanna Smith got 92 votes, Christina D. Busch 68 and Charles “Chuck” Angerer 67.

(In Cole County Busch brought in 264 votes, Angerer 208 and Smith 166).

Some residents in Miller County are in the Osage County R-III School District and that district was looking to fill two positions from three names on the ballot. Miller County voters cast no votes for any of the three names on the ballot.

The Iberia R-V School District was also seeking two people for the board from three names. Brandon Kissinger received 230 votes, Brian N. Spencer 201 and Ralf Michael Trusty 169.

The Village of Tuscumbia asked voters to forgo elections if there is only one candidate for each available office. The Ballot measure said:

“Shall the Village of Tuscumbia be authorized to forgo annual elections if the number of candidates who have filed for office is equal to the number of positions to be filled by the election? (This will save the Village of Tuscumbia approximately $203.14 per year.”

Residents in the village cast 10 votes in favor and one in opposition.

The same question was put before the voters in the Village of St. Elizabeth and it passed with 14 votes and no opposition.

This means that if only one person files for an available office they will be automatically elected without any votes cast for them.

In Eldon, Brian Kidwell ran unopposed for City Marshall as did Clancy Boots for Ward Three.

In Ward One, Andrea Loafman and Sarah Walker were on the ballot with Walker getting 30 votes to Loafman’s 16.

In Ward Two, Terri Benjamin took in 81 while Jason McGhay got 39.

Four names were on the ballot for two positions on the Bagnell City Council, Ward One with Russell Burdelle bringing in the most votes (four). The three other names only brought in one vote each.

In Ward Two of Bagnell City, two were also needed with Mandy Erickson and Jarrod Monitort receiving two votes each.

In the city of Iberia, Stacy Howk (Ward One) and Nathan Duncan (Ward two) ran unopposed.

The city was also looking to voters to approve issuing revenue bonds. The question put to voters was: (Spelling is as it appeared on the ballot)

“Shall the City of Iberia, Missouri, issue its combined waterworks and sewerage system revenue bonds in the amount of $11 million for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, furnishing, eqipping, extending and improving the City's combined waterworks and sewerage system, including the acquisition of real estate and easements related thereto, the cost of operation and maintenance of said system and the principal of and interest on said revenue bonds to be payable soley from the revenues derived by the City from the operation of its combined waterworks and sewerage system, including all future extensions and improvments thereto?”

Voters said yes with 72 votes. Five votes were cast against the issuing of the bonds.

Finally, the Village of Brumley needed five board members from nine names. The names and votes were:

Norma Sue Ely – 10
Paul David Bowden - 8
Deloris Jean Trusley – 7
Stepheny Byrd – 3
Lora Roberts – 3
Brian Defraffenreid – 3
Bruce Byrd – 1
Steve Pendleton – 1
Josh Pryor - 1