Taxes, county offices fill out November election ballot

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Some Mid-Missouri counties will select their top elected official on Nov. 8, while voters in some local communities will also be deciding on tax questions.

Statewide races lead the November midterm election ballot but important local races and issues also make the list.

Boone County

Boone County voters will pick several state House members but they'll also select four county officeholders, including the top elected official -- the presiding commissioner.

Current Democratic Presiding Commissioner Dan Atwill is retiring at the end of his term. Fellow Democrat Kip Kendrick, a former state House member, hopes he can take over the seat.

Hickman High School graduate and businesswoman Connie Leipard is running as a Republican.

The presiding commissioner is an at-large seat that represents the entire county.

LINKS: Kendrick April quarterly finance report; Kendrick July report; Kendrick October report; Leipard April report; Leipard July report; Leipard October report

Voters will also select a new recorder of deeds between Republican Shamon Jones and Democrat Bob Nolte.

Republican Jason Gibson is seeking the county auditor's seat against Democrat Kyle Rieman after the retirement of longtime auditor June Pitchford.

Incumbent Republican Treasurer Dustin Stanton, who was appointed by Gov. Mike Parson to replace Democrat Tom Darrough, is running to retain his seat against Democrat Jenna Redel.

Also appearing on Boone County ballots:

• A 2.5-cent use tax in Centralia.
• A use tax in Harrisburg.
• A use tax in Rocheport.
• Air Link rural broadband approval in Rocheport.

Cole County

The presiding commissioner is also up for election in Cole County.

Incumbent Republican Sam Bushman is being challenged by independent candidate Carla Malone Steck. Bushman, the owner of Samuel's Tuxedo and Gifts, is seeking his third term in office.

Cole County R-I in Russellville is asking its voters to allow it to borrow $5 million without an increase in the district's debt service levy. The City of St. Martins is asking its voters to approve a use tax.

Other counties

Howard County voters will elect a prosecuting attorney. Incumbent Republican Deborah Riekhof is being challenged by independent Frank Flaspohler. Flaspohler is a former county coroner who was part of the inquiry into the death by suicide of teen Kenneth Suttner.

Fayette voters are being asked to approve a half-cent sales tax for public safety.

In Miller County, Eldon voters will decide whether to extend a three-eighths-cent sales tax for parks for 25 years. Lake Ozark voters are being asked to allow a half-cent sales tax to be used for infrastructure.

Moniteau County voters will choose a presiding commissioner. Republican Joe Lutz of Tipton, who unseated the incumbent in the primary, is facing Democrat Charles Roll of California.

Voters in Cairo, in Randolph County, will decide whether to impose a 1-cent sales tax.