The country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic just as the April 2 general municipal and board of education elections drew near. This pandemic caused Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to sign an executive order postponing the April election to Tuesday, June 2.
Sample ballots have been published in the Platte County Citizen for the past two weeks to inform voters of what is on the June 2 ticket. As readers may notice, the ballots still have the April 7 dateline. Ballots for the April election were already printed at the time of the election postponement. These ballots, dated April 7, 2020, will be used during the June 2 election.
The issues haven’t changed, but some of the polling places have, so be sure to read where constituents will vote.
A brief rundown of contested races follows:
• The City of Platte City has a race for mayor. Tony Paolillo is running against David Sharp for the mayor’s seat.
• The City of Northmoor has a race for alderman-at-large with four people running for three positions. The four candidates include Bennie N. Pate, Cari A. Bossow-Murdock, John W. Butner and Jackie Newman.
• In the City of Lake Waukomis, two people are vying for the Ward 1 Alderman seat. John Wurzer and Bentley Allen are the candidates for this position.
• The City of Camden Point has a race for Ward 1 Alderman with Donn Swaggerty and Todd Wolf vying for the position.
• The Village of Farley has six people running for only three trustees’ positions. Those on the ballot are: Jennifer Wymore, Chuck McCardie, Roger W. Sullins, Roger J. Verschraegen, Dave Davis and Barbara Mnatzakanian.
• The City of Dearborn has two positions open for Alderman-At-Large. Three people are running. They are: Donald Swanstone, Jr., Breanna L. Cheadle and Pat Downing.
• The City of Parkville has three races. Tina Welch and Patricia S. Robinson have both filed for Ward 1 Alderman with one seat open. Dave Rittman and Brett Krause are vying for the Ward 2 Alderman spot; and Robert J. Lock and Doug Bias, Jr., have both filed for one seat open for Ward 3 Alderman.
Since filing closed, Bias has moved out of Ward 3 and is no longer eligible for the seat. Dr. John Carter has sought to run as a write-in candidate for the seat.
• The City of Riverside has a race for Ward 1 Alderman. Mike Fuller and Marilee Dawn Cockrell are both running for the position.
• The City of Platte Woods has two people running for mayor. The candidates are incumbent John C. Smedley and Thomas Noon.
• There are two races in the City of Tracy. Nathan Larrabee and Rita Rhoads are both running for mayor. Kristi Colstion-George, Laura Colstion, Darrin Addison and Sean Van Tol, Sr., are all running for two Alderman-At-Large seats.
• The West Platte School District has three school board director seats open with five people running. The candidates are: Matthew A. Parker, Antonio John Cutolo-Ring, Shane E. Bartee, Ronald R. Rowe and Phillip Pattison.
• The North Platte School District has four candidates for school board with three positions open. Filing for these board seats are: Bennett French, Jeffrey Scott Hinton, Jennifer Hernandez and James Kubly.
• The Parkville Benefit Assessment Special Road District has two people running for one commissioner’s position. They are Gary Gulden and John Cookinham.
BALLOT ISSUES
• In Platte City, a local use tax issue will be decided. The question asks if Platte City should impose a local use tax at the same rate as the total sales tax rate, which is currently at 2.375 percent, to fund police, street maintenance, parks and capital improvement functions, providing that if the local sales tax is reduced or raised by voter approval, the local use tax shall also be reduced or raised by the same action.
• The City of Dearborn has a proposition on the ballot asking if the City of Dearborn should amend its code to permit keeping no more than six chickens, but not roosters that crow, at any household and to prescribe the conditions under which said animals shall be maintained.
• The City of Kansas City has a sales tax issue on the ballot. The question asks if the City of Kansas City should impose a sales tax of 1/2 percent to expire on Dec. 31, 2036, for the purpose of providing revenues for the operation of the Kansas City Fire Department which will include making capital improvements to, and purchasing equipment for, such department, which will have the effect of increasing the existing sales tax from 1/4 percent to 1/2 percent.
• The Weston Benefit Assessment Special Road District has a question on the ballot asking whether or not the Weston Benefit Assessment Special Road District should levy an additional tax rate of $.35 on the $100 valuation for a period of four years.
Voters are advised to read over the ballots found elsewhere in this issue for ballot issues as well as voting locations. Some locations may have changed since the last General Municipal Election.