With filing for the April 7 General Municipal Election closed at the end of last month, a number of ballot measures should be on the radars of Moniteau County citizens, along with contested elections for the county's school boards.
Notably, voters will find a proposed tax levy for the California Rural Fire Protection District from .20 cents to .80 cents on each one hundred dollars of assessed valuation, for the purpose of fire truck and equipment replacement and general operating revenue. Also notable is Proposition P, which would impose a countywide sales tax rate of one-half of one percent, with half the revenue used solely for maintaining and improving law enforcement services and half budgeted for maintaining and improving the county's roads and bridges.
Across the county, voters will also see a number of contested elections for various boards of education. In the California School District, voters will select three board members for three-year terms from five candidates: Christian L. Pickering, Tony D. Haile, Paul Bloch, Landon Porter and Brandy Brockes. Also in this district is Proposition 2020 - Vision for the Future, which would approve for the Board of Education to borrow $10,750,000 for the purpose of updating school facilities in a number of ways. The proposition would aim to demolish the 1954 portion of the elementary building and the Pre-K/Kindergarten metal building, to be replaced with more than 20 new classrooms; renovate the elementary and middle schools, upgrade technology infrastructure; improve safety; fund roof repairs; repave parking lots; resurface the track; and, to the extent that funds are available, complete other renovation and repair improvements to existing facilities in the district. If approved, the debt service levy of the school district is to remain unchanged.
In Prairie Home, voters will select three board members for three-year terms from four candidates: Tammy Brandes, Sheila Brown, Nathan Alpers and Marsha Stewart.
High Point's Board of Education will see three new members for three-year terms, from a list of four candidates: Travis Pearson, Melanie Porter, George Wyrick and Daniel Carender. Also for the High Point School District, voters will decide on Proposition No. 2, which would allow the district to borrow $1,000,000 for the purpose of constructing, equipping and furnishing additional classrooms; potential land acquisition; and to the extent that funds are available, complete other renovation and repair improvements to existing facilities in the district. If approved, the debt service levy of the school district would increase from $0.0000 to $0.5400 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property.
The Eldon R-1 School District will also see a contested election. Voters will select three board members for three-year terms from four candidates: Michael J. Holland, Jerome (Jerry) W. Kaibel II, Viktor Erik Krantz and Adam Toalson. Additionally, the district will see a ballot measure that, if approved, would allow it to borrow $2,500,000 for a number of purposes, including the construction of an animal laboratory at the high school.
Across the county, other elections - for city officials and school boards - will remain uncontested.